OD 


RINGWOOD  THE  ROVER, 

A    TALE    OF    FLORIDA, 


BY  W.  H,  HERBERT, 


AUTHOR  OF   "CROMWELL,"   "THE   BROTHERS,"   &( 


Our  plough  the  galley,  and  our  steeds  the  breeze — 
Our  harvest-field  the  broad  and  bounding  seas — 
"We  reap  the  golden  crop  from  zone  to  zone, 
Our  birthright  all  that  slaves  and  dastards  own. 


PHILADELPHIA: 
WILLIAM  H.    GRAHAM,   98   CHESNUT   STREET. 


1843. 

i     . 


Entered  according  to  act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1841,  by 

BY  G.  R.  GRAHAM, 
In  the  office  of  the  Clerk  of  the  Eastern  District  of  Pennsylvania. 


<•-.  , 


TO  THE  PUBLIC. 


The  history  of  the  Buccaneers  abounds  with  perilous  enterprises  and 
romantic  adventures,  which  afford  a  field  for  the  highest  powers  of  the 
novelist :  but  hitherto  American  authors  have  avoided  this  fertile  ground. 
In  "  Ringwood  the  Rover"  the  writer  has  sought  to  give  a  picture  of  the 
nobler  class,  as  well  as  to  describe  some  of  the  daring  undertakings  of  these 
free  rovers  of  the  seas. 


M268571 


6 


RINGWOOD    THE    ROVER, 


nished  by  the  most  fiendish  cruelty,  would  have 
been  deemed  heroical,  won  for  the  second  Philip 
that  fair  province  from  the  French  Huguenots  of 
Coligny.  The  eyes  of  all  that  little  group  were 
intently  fixed  upon  the  sea,  from  which  it  would 
appear  the  apprehended  danger — if  apprehended 
danger  it  weie,  that  gave  rise  to  those  takens  of 
surprise  and  prepartion — was  most  to  be  expected  5 
and  in  the  visages  of  all,  an  evident  expression  of 
anxiety  and  doubt  was  marked,  in  its  least  doubt 
ful  character.  But  in  the  face  of  no  one  there, 
were  there  such  signs  of  perturbation  and  dismay, 
as  in  that  of  the  governor.  He  was  a  man  of  large 
and  heavy  build,  a  veteran  of  many  a  bloody  war, 
.with  limbs  which,  although  deprived  somewhat 
of  agility  and  lightness  by  the  unsparing  hand  of 
time,  were  cast  in  a  mould  of  iron  ;  his  features 
prominent,  bold,  and  haughty,  with  a  world  of 
iron  resolution  in  the  firmly-compressed  mouth 
and  massive  jaw,  and  a  glance  of  intolerable  fire 
in  the  dark  eye ;  and  his  bearing,  such  as  became 
a  cavalier  to  whom  the  camp  and  court  had  been 
alike  familiar  from  his  first  boyhood.  But  now 
his  rich  dress  was  in  disarray ;  a  leathern  shoulder- 
belt  with  an  immense  two-handed  sword  attached 
to  it,  and  a  display  of  cumbersome  and  ill- wrought 
pistols  thrust  hastily  into  a  broad  buff-girdle,  as 
sorted  illy  with  a  fair  garb  of  courtly  fashion ;  his 
long  hair,  once  as  black  as  jet,  but  now  discolored 
with  full  many  a  streak  of  wintry  gray,  hung  in 
disordered  masses  over  his  broad  brow,  lank,  and 
uncurled,  and  graceless — and  on  his  brow  the  per 
spiration  stood  in  drops,  like  bubbles  on  the  bo 
som  of  some  turbid  stream — and  the  deep  olive  tints 
of  his  complexion  wore  an  unnatural  and  ghastly 
hue — and,  as  he  grasped  a  powerful  perspective- 
glass  with  which  he  ever  and  anon  swept  the  ho 
rizon,  his  fingers  might  be  seen  to  work  in  quick 
convulsive  twitches,  as  though  they  would  have 
bedded  themselves  into  the  polished  brass. 

"Nothing!"  he  said,  after  a  long  and  wistful 
gaze,  "  I  can  see  nothing  seaward.  Yet  right 
sure  am  I,  that  those  sounds  were  of  far-distant 
ordnance.  It  is  the  twelfth  too  of  the  month,  and 
long  ere  this,  the  caravel  we  were  advised  of 
should  have  been  safe  in  harbor.  Hark !  hark ! 
heard  ye  not  then,"  he  cried,  "  heard  ye  not  that 
dull  roar  to  the  eastward?  Pedro,  Gutierrez, 
hearken — what  say  ye,  cavaliers,  is 't  not  the  voice 
of  ordnance  ?" 

"  Past  doubt,  it  is,"  replied  the  elder  of  the 
gentlemen  he  had  addressed,  "  and  heavy  ordnance 
too." 

"And  lo!  a  sail!"  exclaimed  the  other,  who 
had  directed  his  glass  instantly  toward  the  quar 
ter  whence  the  sounds  proceeded,  "  I  marvel  how 
we  saw  her  not  before.  Here  !  here,  your  Excel 


lency  !  here  !  bring  yon  palmetto  in  the  range  of 
the  east  angle  of  the  demilune,  and  you  will  catch 
her !  Now,  by  St.  Jago,  I  can  see  her  to  the 
courses ;  three  tiers  of  wide-spread  canvas  !" 

;t  I  have  her  now,"  replied  Melendez,  thought 
fully,  "I  have  her  now.  '  Tis  she;  it  is  El 
Santo  Espiritu,  past  doubt ;  but  wherefore  was 
she  firing  ?  Pray  heaven,  these  cursed  English, 
these  infernal  rovers,  be  not  upon  her  track!" 

"  I  fear  me  much  it  is  so,"  answered  Gutierrez. 
I  fear  me  much  it  is  so ;  for  ever  and  anon,  I 
fancy  I  catch  glimpses,  as  they  rise  upon  the 
waves,  of  smaller  sails  behind,  and  further  yet  to 
the  eastward.  Lo  !  now,  in  range  with  yon  skiff 
upon  the  beach — there  !  it  has  sunk  again — and 
now,  again,  I  catch  it !" 

;'Ay!  and  again  she  fires!  pray  heaven  she 
have  the  heels  of  them ;  once  under  our  guns,  she 
were  in  safety  from  any  armament  which  they  can 
bring  against  her !" 

Meanwhile  the  vessel,  which  had  been  first 
seen  hull-down  in  the  far  offing,  was  rising  rapid 
ly  as  she  drew  near,  not  having  met  as  yet  the 
counter-influence  of  the  land-breeze — but  scarce 
less  rapidly  rose,  one  by  one,  the  smaller  barques, 
which  had  at  first  escaped  the  notice  of  the  eager 
and  excited  watchers ;  until  five  low  and  rakish 
craft,  with  long  yard-arms  and  lateen  sails,  might 
be  distinctly  seen  in  chase  of  the  tall  frigate. — 
One  somewhat  larger  than  the  rest,  three-masted, 
but  of  the  same  taunt  and  picarooning  build,  was 
now  so  near  astern,  that  she  was  able  to  keep  up 
a  constant  firing  from  her  bow-guns,  which  the 
caravel  returned  with  her  stern-chasers ;  though 
it  was  evident  by  the  rate  at  which  she  rode 
the  waves,  staggering  along  with  every  stitch  of 
sail  set  that  could  draw,  that  she  was  most  sin 
cerely  anxious  to  avoid  close  action  writh  her  di 
minutive  antagonist.  An  hour  had  elapsed  at 
most  since  she  had  been  at  first  made  out ;  and 
had  there  been  any  thing  of  real  doubt  as  to  the 
nation  of  the  frigate,  or  the  character  of  her  pur 
suers,  that  doubt  was  now  entirely  at  an  end  ;  for 
at  the  distance  of  about  five  miles,  by  the  aid  of 
strong  glasses,  it  was  not  difficult  to  note  the  cas 
tled  bows  and  poop  of  the  tall  caravella,  bristling 
with  culverin  and  demi-cannon,  or  to  distinguish 
the  proud  bearings  of  Castile  upon  the  yellow 
colors,  which,  in  the  hope  perhaps  of  bringing 
help  and  succor  from  the  friendly  fort  and  city,  she 
wore  not  only  at  her  three  mastheads,  but  at  the 
bowsprit-end,  and  at  some  six  or  seven  other  points 
conspicuous  in  her  rigging.  Meanwhile,  the  fore 
most  of  the  chasing  squadron  had  hoisted  at  her 
main  the  snowy  field  of  England,  with  the  broad 
bright  St.  George's  cross,  while  at  the  peak  of 
each  one  of  her  long  yard-arms,  a  blooded  flag 


A    TALE    OF    FLORIDA. 


with  the  black  skull  and  cross-bones  proclaimed 
her  real  character. 

And  now  the  agony  of  Juan  de  Melendez  had 
become  fearfully,  intensely  visible ;  to  and  fro 
upon  the  narrow  esplanade  above  the  water-gate, 
with  quick,  uneven  steps,  and  features  haggard 
with  excitement,  did  he  stalk  during  that  long 
hour ;  now  pausing  for  an  instant  to  note  the  pro 
gress  of  the  chase,  and  now  with  a  despairing  ges 
ture  again  resuming  his  distracted  walk — his  offi 
cers  surveying  him  the  while  with  looks  denoting 
deep  commiseration,  but  more  of  that  surprise, 
which  must  have  been  felt  by  men  ignorant  of  the 
cause  of  his  strange  gestures  and  bewildered  mien. 
"  She  will  escape  them  yet !  Be  of  good  cheer," 
cried  one,  a  young  and  noble-looking  gallant,  "be 
of  good  cheer,  your  Excellency ;  she  brings  the 
sea-breeze  up  with  her  right  manfully  !" 

"  Ay  doth  she,"  cried  another,  "  for  the  nonce; 
but  wait  till  she  strike  the  counter-blast ;  lo  !  you 
may  see  it  ruffling  the  surface  now  within  a  mile 
of  her!" 

"  And  when  she  doth,"  exclaimed  the  younger 
officer,  "  she  can  beat  in,  I  trow;  tack  and  tack, 
merrily ;  and  they  can  but  beat  after  her.  Why 
in  half  an  hour  more  she  will  be  safe  here,  under 
our  batteries  !" 

"Not  so!  not  so!"  cried  Juan  de  Melendez, 
mournfully,  "she  never  will  lie  here  at  anchor 
any  more,  if  she  trust  to  her  sails  !  Curse  on  the 
fool  Davila,  that  turns  not  on  that  paltry  picaroon, 
and  crushes  her  at  three  broadsides  before  her  con 
sorts  may  come  up  !  See  you  not,  Pedro  ?  and 
see  you  not,  Diego,  who  art  a  mariner  so  skillful — 
see  you  not  that  the  sea-breeze  even  now  has  failed 
them,  and  that  the  land-wind  dies  away  moment 
ly  ?  God !  God  of  my  fathers  !  that  we  must  stand 
here  helpless,  and  strike  no  blow  in  her  behalf. 
Yet !  yet !  if  he  would  tack,  while  he  hath  way 
upon  her,  he  might  engage  the  pirate  yard-arm  to 
yard-arm,  and  so  quell  him;  but  even  now  he  loses; 
he  hath  lost  it !  His  sails  flap  idly  to  the  mast ;  it 
is  dead  calm !  Fool !  fool !  accursed  fool !  and  he 
hath  anchored." 

"  But  it  is  no  less  calm  for  them !  picaroons 
though  they  be,  and  manned  by  devils,  yet  cannot 
they  make  sail,  more  than  the  caravella!" 

"Look!"  was  the  sole  reply  of  the  well-nigh 
distracted  governor — "  Look !" — and  it  needed  but 
a  glance  to  show  that  the  ill-fated  frigate  had  now, 
indeed,  no  hope  but  in  the  vigor  of  her  own  de 
fence—for  low  and  light,  and  built  no  less  for  oars 
than  sails,  the  wind  had  scarcely  left  them,  a  half 
league  at  the  most  astern  of  the  Spaniard,  ere 
they  had  furled  their  lateen  sails,  and  getting  out 
their  sweeps,  came  up  scarce  slower  than  before, 
crowded  with  men  whose  weapons  might  be 


seen    momentarily    glancing   to   the   broad    sun 
shine. 

"  My  child — great  God — my  child !"  cried  Juan 
de  Melendez,  his  pale  features  writhing  with  hor 
rible  intensity  of  anguish—"  Would,  would  that 
thou  wert  dead,  Teresa  !  And  is  all  lost  ?— is  all 
lost,  gentlemen  ?  Shake  not  your  heads,  look  not 
so  gloomily  upon  me ;  can  ye  devise  no  scheme, 
no  hope,  no  possibility — and  yet  how  should  ye, 
when  we  have  neither  boat,  nor  even  store  enough 
of  pirogues  in  the  bay,  to  bear  them  any  succor  ? 
Oh !  would,  would  Heaven,  that  I  had  died,  I  care 
not  how  disgracefully,  so  that  I  were  but  dead, 
ere  I  had  been  so  fettered  here,  to  look  thus  help 
less  on  the  murder  of  my  comrades — the  worse 
than  murder  of  mine  innocent  and  lovely  child ! 
and,  thou,  Don  Amadis,  thou  who  hast  dared  to 
lift  the  eyes  of  love  to  her — canst  thou  stand  sta- 
tuelike  and  mute,  and  strike  no  blow  for  her  ? 
Canst  thou  endure  almost  to  hear  the  shrieks,  al 
most  to  look  upon  the  form,  of  her  thou  wouldst 
have  wedded,  writhing  in  agony  in  the  foul  arms 
of  the  licentious  buccaneer !  A  man  !  a  gentle 
man  !  ha !  ha !  a  soldier — ha  !  ha  !  ha !  a  man,  a 
gentleman,  a  soldier,  and  an  old  Castilian  look 
tamely  on  the  violation  of  his  bride,  before  the 
very  eyes  of  her  insulted  father  !" 

"  Answer  him  not,  Don  Amadis" — the  gray 
haired  veteran  Pedro  interposed — "answer  him 
not,  I  pray ;  this  is  sheer  madness — the  pardona 
ble  madness  of  parental  anguish!  And  you,  Sir 
Juan" — he  continued,  turning  to  the  half- frantic 
governor — "  think  you  not  if  we  were  to  clear 
the  long  guns  of  the  southern  bastion,  we  might 
yet  drive  those  picarooning  scoundrels  from  their 
prey — me  thinks  the  caravella  lies  even  now  with 
in  their  range?" 

"No!  no!  you  but  deceive  yourselves — there 
is  no  hope !  none  !  none !  Nathless  we  may  es 
say  it — and  see,  Lavila  hath  slipped  even  now 
his  cables,  hath  got  his  boats  out,  and  tows  cheer 
ily  toward  us.  Away  there,  ye  knave  cannoniers, 
clear  the  long  culverins,  ourselves,  we  will  go 
down  and  point  them."  And  with  these  words, 
followed  by  all  his  train,  he  hastily  rushed  down 
the  narrow  stairway  of  the  rampart,  passed 
through  the  sally-port,  and  in  a  moment  was  en 
gaged  among  the  guns,  with  an  anxiety  and  zeal 
that  for  a  moment  quelled  his  mental  agony. 

The  caravella  now  was  but  a  short  mile  from  the 
seaward  batteries,  towed  by  the  whole  strength 
of  her  crew,  rowing  with  that  tremendous  energy 
which  consciousness  that  all  is  centered  in  his  own 
exertions,  lends  to  the  meanest  and  the  feeblest 
man  that  draws  the  breath  of  life  !  One  half  a 
mile  more  would  have  ensured  her  safety.  It  was 
a  fearful  chase  !  So  close  behind  her  was  the  best 


8 


RINGWOOD    THE    ROVER, 


manned  and  largest  of  the  picaroons,  that  now  the 
fire,  which  had  been  for  awhile  suspended,  again 
became  hot,  animated,  and  destructive.  And  now 
the  mizzen  of  the  caravel  came  thundering,  with 
all  its  hamper,  over  her  groaning  side,  encumber 
ing  her  fatally,  and  lessening  her  way  through  the 
calm  waters ;  while  at  the  sight  a  long,  loud  yell 
of  savage  exultation  burst  from  the  desperadoes 
who  had  wrought  that  ruin,  and  penetrated  even 
to  the  ears  of  the  appalled  spectators.  Hitherto 
no  opportunity  had  been  given  to  the  Spaniards  on 
the  fortress  for  firing  a  gun  in  aid  of  their  com 
panions  ;  since  the  three-masted  galley,  conscious 
of  her  advantage,  kept  herself  by  her  sweeps  and 
oars  under  the  stern  of  the  tall  frigate,  raking  her 
fore  and  aft  by  a  continual  fire  of  her  single  gun, 
a  culverin  of  the  first  class,  avoiding  thus  alike 
the  heavy  ordnance  of  her  broadside,  and  the  yet 
heavier  metal  of  the  batteries,  which  were  deter 
red  from  firing  lest  they  should  injure  their  own 
friends !  But  now  two  other  of  the  pirates,  which, 
in  the  chase,  had  made  each  a  long  circuit  on 
the  starboard  and  larboard  tacks,  keeping  as 
much  as  possible  out  of  the  frigate's  range, 
having  shot  far  ahead  of  her,  changed  suddenly 
their  course,  putting  their  bows  each  right  toward 
the  other,  and  pulling  with  great  speed  to  cut  her 
off  from  her  desired  haven.  On  these,  at  the  same 
instant,  opened  the  frigate's  fire,  gun  after  gun 
from  both  broadsides,  a  fierce  incessant  cannonade  ! 
and  the  tremendous  salvo  of  the  batteries.  The 
whole  shores  seemed  to  rock  with  the  concussion; 
the  little  air  there  had  been  heretofore,  stilled 
by  the  fearful  shock,  sank  utterly ;  and,  ere  ten 
minutes  had  elapsed,  the  surface  of  the  water  was 
covered  by  a  dense  mass  of  volumed  smoke,  so 
closely  packed  that  not  an  eye  of  all  who  gazed 
so  fearfully  upon  tjie  scene,  could  note  vessel,  or 
boat,  or  any  living  being,  though  still  from  out 
the  vapory  cloud  the  glare  of  the  incessant  can 
nonading  might  be  seen  crimsoning  the  misty 
wreaths,  which  every  shot  augmented. 

"Hold!  hold!"  after  awhile  exclaimed  Melen- 
dez,  "  let  the  smoke  lift,  this  random  firing  goes 
for  naught;  let  it  lift,  we  shall  see  anon  !" 

And  at  his  orders  instantly  the  firing  from  the 
battery  stopped,  but  not  for  that  did  the  dense  va 
pors  lift  at  all  from  the  still  surface  of  the  waters, 
nor  did  the  prospect  brighten — fed  constantly  as 
were  those  murky  clouds  by  the  continual  can 
nonading  of  the  vessels,  which  in  no  degree  ceased 
or  abated.  If  the  sight  had  been  anxious  hereto 
fore,  the  interest  appalling,  when  every  motion  of 
assailant  or  assailed  might  be  distinctly  noticed, 
what  must  have  been  the  anguish  now,  the 
agony  of  expectation,  when  the  fierce  work  of 
death  was  doing  at  their  very  doors,  under  the 


muzzles  of  their  cannon,  and  they  might  neither 
see,  nor  judge  by  any  sense  or  sign,  to  which 
side  fortune  was  inclining.  The  first  sound 
that  attracted  any  near  attention,  was  the  quick 
dash  of  oars  close  to  the  beach ;  and,  as  each 
countenance  was  instantly  directed  to  the  joyful 
echo,  boat  after  boat  of  those — it  needed  not  a 
second  glance  to  tell  it — which  had  been  last  seen 
towing  shoreward  El  Santo  Espiritu,  loomed 
through  the  dusky  veil,  and,  almost  as  they  came 
in  sight,  grated  upon  the  shingly  beach ;  while 
their  crews,  throwing  down  their  oars,  rushed 
madly  up  the  slope  in  desperate  confusion  toward 
the  sally-port. 

"Ten  thousand  curses  on  the  dogs  !"  fiercely 
hissed  Juan  de  Melendez  through  his  hard-set 
teeth,  "  they  have  deserted  her  !  but  not  the  better 
shall  they  fare  for  that ;  level  your  harquebuses, 
guard ;  depress  your  culverins  ;  sweep  the  desert 
ing  scoundrels  from  the  earth  !" 

But  to  his  fiery  command  no  answer  was  re 
turned,  and  no  obedience  rendered ;  for  during  the 
last  pause  the  firing  had  sunk,  and  from  the  bo 
som  of  the  smoke,  wild  cheers  and  all  the  tumult 
of  heavy  fight  were  now  distinctly  audible.  In  a 
few  seconds'  space,  the  vapors  gradually  light 
ened,  so  that  the  vessels  might  be  seen,  though 
faintly,  clustered  together  in  close  contact.  Anon 
the  breeze  came  up  again,  fitful  at  the  first  and 
faint,  but  freshening  at  every  moment ;  and  then, 
whirled  upward  from  the  now  rippling  waters, 
the  smoky  masses  were  swept  bodily  to  leeward, 
leaving  the  whole  of  the  bright  bay,  the  verdant 
shores,  and  the  pure  heavens  rejoicing  in  the  gor 
geous  sunshine. 

Far  in  the  middle  of  that  bay  lay  the  devoted 
caravella,  her  sheets  loosened  and  her  canvas 
flying  disorderly  and  wild,  while  grappling  to  her 
sides,  her  stern,  her  bows,  the  low  barques  of 
the  pirates  hemmed  her  in,  their  savage  crews 
mounting  her  bulwarks  in  resistless  numbers, 
their  brandished  weapons  glancing  to  the  sun, 
and  their  appalling  yells  deadening  the  hearts 
of  all  who  heard  them.  Unharmed  by  the  guns 
from  the  too  distant  ramparts,  the  light  picaroons 
had  succeeded  in  cutting  in  between  the  frigate 
and  her  boats ;  leaving  no  chance  of  safety  to  the 
latter  but  precipitate  and  sudden  flight,  and  to  the 
former  no  hope,  save  the  precarious  chances  of  a 
pirate's  mercy.  Nor  was  it  long  in  doubt  to  the 
spectators  what  was  that  mercy ;  for  ere  the  fight, 
or  massacre,  more  properly,  upon  her  decks  had 
ceased,  the  wily  desperadoes  anchored  just  with 
out  cannon  shot ;  and  as  the  Spanish  ensign  was 
torn  down,  amid  a  tumult  of  tremendous  exulta 
tion,  man  after  man  of  the  defendants  was  hurled 
overboard,  so  that  their  terror-stricken  country- 


A    TALE    OF    FLORIDA. 


men  upon  the  battlements  might  see  the  waters, 
ever  as  they  fell,  lashed  into  froth  and  spray  by 
the  ferocious  sharks,  which,  taught  by  their  vora 
cious  instincts  the  consequence  of  battle,  seized 
each  one,  as  he  touched  the  surface,  tugging  and 
snapping  at  each  other  for  every  palpitating  mor 
sel.  And  still  more  terrible  than  this  the  howls 
of  men — howls,  such  as  nothing  but  the  utmost 
and  most  excruciating  tortures  could  force  from 
human  lips — mixed  with  the  shriller  and  more 
piteous  shrieks  of  women,  told  that  the  fate  of 
those,  who  had  become  a  prey  to  the  disgust 
ing  fish,  was  but  a  boon  of  mercy  when  compared 
to  the  more  awful  doom  of  those  preserved  from 
the  first  carnage  to  satiate  the  victor's  love  of 
blood  or  beauty. 

All  day  long  did  this  fearful  sight  continue — all 
day  long  were  the  heavens  polluted,  by  the  atro 
cious  deeds  they  were  compelled  to  witness, 
pierced  by  the  frantic  cries  of  those  who  called  on 
them  in  vain  for  succor  or  for  mercy.  The  even 
ing  was  now  drawing  nigh,  although,  perhaps, 
some  three  hours  yet  remained  of  daylight ;  when 
by  a  simultaneous  movement  on  the  frigate's 
decks,  it  might  be  judged  that  some  new  project 
had  been  fixed  on  by  the  buccaneers.  Nor  were 
the  garrison  devoid,  fif  not  of  absolute  fear,  at 
least  of  much  anxiety  ;  since  it  was  evident  that 
their  relentless  enemies  were  in  great  force,  not 
counting  less,  as  they  might  calculate — from  the 
known  habits  of  the  Caribbean  pirates  of  stowing 
in  their  long  low  barques  as  many  men  as  possi 
bly  could  be  contained  in  them — than  seven  hun 
dred  or  perhaps  a  thousand  soldiers  ;  more  fight 
ing-men  than  which  St.  Augustine  could  not,  at 
that  day,  have  turned  out,  though  to  preserve  her 
self  from  utter  ruin.  Nor  was  it  contrary  by  any 
means,  or  foreign  to  the  policy  of  these  far -dread 
ed  rovers  to  attack  villages,  or  even  forts  and 
cities,  when  in  sufficient  numbers  to  render  suc 
cess  probable,  and  when  enough  of  plunder  or  of 
licentious  pleasure  might  be  looked  forward  to, 
as  the  result  of  their  bold  daring  !  A  levy  of  the 
citizens  en  masse  was  instantly  resorted  to,  arms 
were  distributed,  even  among  the  slaves,  whose 
terrors,  not  inferior  to  those  of  their  masters,  ren 
dered  it  safe  to  trust  them  with  the  weapons 
which,  at  another  time,  they  would  have  proba 
bly  directed  against  the  bosoms  of  the  givers. 
Cannon  were  leveled,  ammunition  piled  by  every 
gun,  and  all  precautions  taken  which  could  ensure 
a  desperate  resistance.  The  pallor  and  the  gloom 
had  passed  away  from  the  dark  visage  of  Melen- 
dez,  with  the  uncertainty  which  had  so  terribly 
distracted  him.  Sure  as  he  felt  himself  now  to 
be,  that  she,  his  treasured  child,  the  only  being 
on  whom  his  stern  soul  doated,  had  endured  the 


last  and  most  appalling  wo  that  can  befall  a  wo 
man  !  that  now  her  agonies — her  innocence — her 
woes — were  at  an  end  for  ever !  he  had  again  re 
sumed  his  soldierly  and  high  demeanor !  His 
face  was  deeply  flushed ;  and  his  eyebrows  con 
tracted  over  the  fiery  orbs  they  shaded,  till  these 
could  scarcely  have  been  noted  but  for  the  flashes 
of  fierce  light  which  they,  at  times,  shot  forth. 
His  lips  alone  were  pale  and  ashy,  so  violent  was 
their  compression  over  his  clenched  teeth  ! 

"  Would  God,"  said  he,  when  every  prepara 
tion  was  concluded,  "  would  God,  that  they  might 
try  it !  So  should  they  feel  a  father's  vengeance !" 

Nor  did  it  seem  improbable  that  his  vengeful 
prayer  would  be  immediately  and  fully  granted  ; 
for  now  the  pirate-barques  might  be  observed  to 
put  off",  one  by  one,  from  the  dismantled  and  aban 
doned  frigate ;  a  single  small  boat  only  waiting, 
as  it  would  seem,  for  their  commander.  Diverging 
slowly,  and  in  opposite  directions,  but  carefully 
preserving  a  safe  distance  from  the  batteries,  they 
came  to  anchor  each  after  each,  the  nearest  about 
half  a  mile  from  their  prize;  and  as  the  last 
swung  round,  the  crew  of  the  remaining  skiff 
were  seen  getting  in  all  haste  to  their  oars.  By 
aid  of  their  naked  eyes,  the  Spaniards  now  beheld 
a  group  of  officers  appear  upon  the  bulwarks  of 
the  caravel,  from  which  were  lowered  instantly 
three  figures,  two  of  which  were  females,  into  the 
cutter  at  the  gangways.  All,  then,  passed  over 
the  ship's  side,  but  one,  who,  disappearing  for  a 
moment,  through  the  cabin  hatch,  returned  bear 
ing  a  lighted  flambeau ;  deliberately  then  he  set 
on  fire,  in  some  twenty  different  places,  the 
slighter  cordage  and  the  sails  of  the  ill-fated  ship, 
and  ere  he  glided  down  a  rope  into  his  boat,  the 
forked  tongues  of  flame  might  be  seen  darting  up 
the  shrouds  and  masts,  like  fiery  serpents  ;  and  in 
a  few  short  minutes  the  whole  of  that  magnificent 
and  stately  fabric,  which  had  so  lately  walked  the 
waters  like  a  thing  of  life,  was  one  huge  pyramid 
of  roaring  and  devouring  flame.  Strongly  and 
rapidly  did  that  boat's  crew  give  way,  and  little 
time  enough  had  they  to  place  themselves  in 
safety ;  for  fired  already  in  the  hold  before  they 
left  her,  they  had  not  traversed  half  the  space  be 
tween  her  and  their  nearest  barque,  before,  with 
an  explosion  that  might  be  heard  leagues  away 
into  the  pathless  forest,  startling  the  wild  beast 
and  the  wilder  Indian  in  his  lair,  and  with  a  wide 
and  circling  glare  that  for  an  instant  made  the 
broad  daylight  pallid,  the  caravel  blew  up !  A 
mass  of  pitchy  smoke  settled  for  a  short  spaqe 
upon  the  water  where  she  lay ;  and  as  it  drifted 
seaward,  a  few  rent  planks  and  mouldering  spars 
were  all  remaining  of  that  noblest  work  of  man's 
invention. 


10 


RING  WOOD    THE    ROVER, 


After  a  little  while,  the  skiff  came  to  under  the 
lee  of  the  three-masted  picaroon,  and  nothing 
more  was  seen  by  the  excited  Spaniards,  until  a 
burst  of  flame  from  a  bow-port  of  the  felucca,  and 
the  dull  roar  of  an  unshotted  gun,  woke  their  at 
tention.  With  the  report,  down  came  the  Eng 
lish  ensign  from  the  fore,  down  came  the  red  flag 
from  her  peak,  and  in  succession  a  broad  white 
field,  in  sign  of  truce  and  amity,  waved  in  the 
place  of  each.  Upon  the  signal,  each  in  succes 
sion  of  the  pirates  fired  a  lee  ward  gun,  and  hoisted 
a  white  flag ;  and  next,  ere  half  an  hour  had 
elapsed,  all  the  boats  of  the  squadron,  twenty  at 
least  in  number,  might  be  seen  to  put  off  from  the 
barques,  each  bearing  the  same  amicable  signal 
at  their  bows  ;  and  after  joining,  which  they  did 
at  the  first  practicable  point,  to  pull  on  steadily, 
in  beautiful  and  accurate  array,  toward  the 
shore. 

Eagerly  did  the  Spaniards  watch  these  singular 
manoeuvres,  and  with  keen  scrutiny  did  they  ob 
serve  each  several  barge ;  but  it  was  not  until 
they  had  arrived  within  a  short  space  of  the 
beach,  that  they  might  make  out  clearly  the 
forms  or  features  of  those  who  occupied  them. 
Nor  could  they  as  yet  do  this  to  their  satisfaction, 
when  observing  that  no  flag  of  truce  was  dis 
played  from  the  ramparts,  they  became  stationary, 
just  without  the  surf,  pulling  a  stroke  or  two  at 
times  merely  to  hold  their  own,  for  the  tide  was 
now  fast  ebbing.  Scarce  had  they  halted,  before 
a  figure  rose  up  in  the  bow  of  the  central  boat — 
a  powerful  barge  pulling  with  forty  oars — and 
waving  a  white  flag  about  his  head,  shouted  some 
words,  which  did  not  reach,  however,  the  ears  for 
which  they  were  intended,  although  there  could 
be  no  doubt  of  their  import. 

"  Shall  we  respond  to  their  signal,  fair  Senor  !" 
exclaimed  the  veteran  Diego :  "I  trow  'twere 
best  to  answer  them !  it  may  be  well,  they  hold 
some  of  our  friends  to  ransom !" 

"No  truce;  no  flag!"  fiercely  replied  Melen- 
dez,  "  I  waited  but  to  get  them  within  our  point 
blank  range !  take  good  sight,  cannoniers  !  look 
to  your  matches  !  fi — " 

"Hold!  for  God's  sake,  hold!"  cried  young 
Don  Amadis,  leaping  «before  the  muzzle  of  the 
gun,  and  grasping  by  the  arm  the  impetuous 
governor.  "  See  you  not  there,"  and,  with  the 
eyes  almost  starting  from  his  head,  and  lips  apart, 
and  outstretched  hands,  he  pointed  to  the  signal- 
boat.  "  See  you  not  it  is  she  ?" 

Slowly  Melendez  caught  his  meaning — turned 
his  glass  toward  the  barge,  wherein  the  quick  eye 
of  the  youthful  lover  had  detected  the  form  of  his 
intended  bride — dropped  it  from  his  unnerved  and 
powerless  hand — and  with  a  quick  shrill  cry — 


"  My  daughter — my  Teresa  !"  sunk  helpless  as  a 
child,  into  the  arms  of  his  attendants ;  while, 
catching  instantly  their  cue,  the  cannoniers  flung 
down  their  linstocks,  and  in  three  minutes'  time 
a  flag  of  truce  was  waving  in  the  place  of  Castile's 
gorgeous  blazonry. 


CHAPTER  II. 

Scarcely  had  the  white  flag  of  truce  replaced 
the  castled  blazonry  of  Spain,  before  a  loud  hail 
rang  from  boat  to  boat  throughout  the  pirate  squa 
dron,  and  the  large  forty-oared  barge  leading,  they 
pulled  so  swiftly  shoreward,  that  scarce  a  mo 
ment  seemed  to  have  elapsed  before  the  whole 
flotilla  was  battling  against  the  heavy  surf,  that 
tumbled  in,  with  its  deep  booming  roar  upon  the 
narrow  stripe  of  sand  which  lay  between  the  bas 
tions  and  the  sea — and  scarce  another  passed  be 
fore  they  were  beached  high  and  dry,  with  their 
oars  shipped,  in  easy  shot  of  harquebuse  from  wa 
ter-gate  and  demi-lune.  A  more  superb  and  gor 
geous  spectacle  can  hardly  be  imagined,  than  was 
presented  to  the  eye  on  the  disembarkation  of  the 
buccaneers  ;  for  such  at  that  time  were  the  profits 
of  their  lawless  and  unholy  trade,  that  not  the 
meanest  mariner  who  toiled  before  the  mast,  but 
had  his  gala  suit  of  velvet  and  embroidery,  his 
silken  hose,  his  arms  inlaid  with  gold  and  silver, 
and  his  rich  chain  of  precious  metal  about  his 
brawny  neck;  and,  as  it  ever  was  their  wont 
when  on  the  eve  of  battle  to  don  their  most  mag 
nificent  attire,  all  now,  from  the  great  captain 
downward  to  the  humblest  rower,  were  decked 
in  such  pomp  as  to  put  to  shame  even  the  splendid 
uniforms  of  the  Castilian  cavaliers.  It  was,  how 
ever,  on  the  great  barge  that  every  eye  was  ri 
veted  ;  for  in  her  bow  a  group  was  seated,  that 
must  have  awakened  the  most  lively  interest  even 
in  a  stranger's  bosom — upon  a  pile  of  cushions 
covered  with  crimson  damask,  a  portion  evidently 
of  the  spoil  snatched  from  the  hapless  caravella, 
exposed  to  the  full  glare  of  the  burning  sun,  re 
clined  a  girl  of  most  rare  loveliness.  Sixteen  or 
seventeen  years  at  the  utmost  had  passed  over  her 
fair  head,  but  they  were  years  of  a  ripe  southern 
climate,  and  so  just  was  the  rich  swelling  outline 
of  her  every  limb,  so  perfect  the  development  of 
her  whole  figure,  that  in  less  genial  regions  she 
would  have  been  taken  for  a  woman  of  some  four 
or  five-and-twenty  summers.  Her  complexion 
was  of  that  rich  and  sunny  tint  peculiar  to  the 
most  lovely  regions  of  the  European  continent  ; 
her  hair  black  as  the  raven's  wing,  and  if  it  be 
possible  even  more  lustrous — although  it  had  been 
braided  closely  above  her  high  pale  brow — disor- 


A   TALE    OF    FLORIDA. 


11 


dered  now,  and  torn  from  its  symmetrical  arrange 
ment,  flowed  in  disheveled  masses  over  her  neck 
and  shoulders ;  while  one  or  two  stray  tresses  fall 
ing  upon  a  bosom,  that  might  have  vied  in  beauty 
with  that  of  the  Medicean  Venus,  afforded  a 
strange  contrast  by  their  jetty  blackness,  to  the 
almost  unnatural  whiteness  of  the  pure  spotless 
flesh,  on  which  they  rested — for  not  her  tresses 
only,  but  all  her  vestments  had  been  disarranged 
and  rent  by  the  licentious  grasp  of  ruffian  hands  ; 
the  graceful  folds  of  the  mantilla  were  no  longer 
there,  to  lend  their  friendly  shade  to  those  sweet 
modest  features;  the  full  basquina  of  dark  silk 
had  been  stripped  violently  from  those  lovely 
limbs,  now  all  too  much  disclosed  through  the 
thin  draperies  of  the  single  linen  garment,  which 
a  precarious  mercy  had  conceded  to  her  virgin 
blushes.  Nor  had  this  wretched  boon  been  grant 
ed  as  it  would  seem  without  reluctance,  perhaps 
without  the  violent  interposition  of  some  power 
ful  protector  ;  for,  from  the  neck  quite  downward 
to  the  girdle,  it  had  been  riven  open  by  some  cruel 
hand,  which  had  left  on  its  sullied  folds  the  dis 
tinct  score  of  five  ensanguined  fingers,  and  now 
fell  wide  apart,  revealing  to  the  wanton  sunbeams 
one  sloping  ivory  shoulder,  and  the  whole  of  the 
voluptuous  bosom,  which  never  had  before  been 
so  unveiled,  even  to  the  chaste  glance  of  the  mai 
den  moon.  Her  exquisitely  rounded  arms,  bare 
to  the  shoulders,  were  bound  fast  behind  her  back, 
and  the  small  foot,  which  peeped  forth  from  below 
the  hem  of  the  chemise/  was  not  unsandaled  only, 
but  encrusted  with  a  deep  crimson  coat  of  human 
gore,  contracted  from  the  bloody  decks  of  the  ill- 
fated  caravella. 

At  the  feet  of  this  lovely  being,  whose  cheeks, 
pallid  with  agony  and  terror,  had  long  forgot  to 
blush  in  the  extremity  of  anguish,  bound  like  her 
mistress  and  yet  more  brutally  despoiled  of  her 
apparel,  crouched  a  negro  girl,  whose  skin,  of  the 
most  polished  jet,  relieved  the  pale  complexion  of 
the  Spanish  lady,  even  as  a  pedestal  of  sable  mar 
ble  sets  off  a  statue  wrought  in  snow-white  ala 
baster.  A  little  way  apart  from  these,  there  lay 
a  slender  stripling,  whose  unfledged  chin  was  not 
yet  clothed  with  the  first  down  of  manhood,  fet 
tered  so  torturingly  hand  and  foot,  that  the  blood 
oozed  in  large  broad  gouts  from  the  pores  of  his 
swollen  limbs  ;  while  a  long  gash  on  his  forehead, 
about  which  his  close-curled  locks  were  stiff  with 
clotted  gore,  and  his  whole  person  swart  with 
the  smoke  of  gunpowder,  and  dabbled  with  the 
blood  of  both  himself  and  his  assailants,  showed 
plainly  that  his  desperate  resistance  had  been  the 
cause  of  these  unnatural  and  needless  bonds. 
Erect  behind  this  miserable  group,  standing  aloft 
upon  the  rocking  thwarts,  as  firmly  as  if  his  feet 


were  planted  on  the  solid  earth,  one  finger  of  his 
right  hand  slightly  leaning  against  the  slender 
staff,  whence  waved  the  flag  of  truce,  towered 
far  above  the  rest,  one  whose  commanding  aspect 
and  proud  bearing,  no  less  than  his  gorgeous  dress, 
at  once  bespoke  him  the' commander  of  the  buc 
caneers.  Six  feet  at  least  in  height,  broad  shoul 
dered,  and  deep-chested,  his  person,  notwithstand 
ing,  was  so  admirably  rounded,  his  waist  so  slender, 
and  all  his  limbs  just  in  their  proportions,  so  com 
pact  in  their  easy  contour,  that  the  extraordinary 
and  almost  Herculean  power  of  his  frame  was  not 
observable,  but  on  a  close  and  accurate  survey. 
His  lineaments  were,  although  wearing  a  mingled 
expression  of  licentiousness,  effrontery,  and  dar 
ing,  decidedly  regular  and  even  handsome ;  nor  was 
there  any  line  or  trait  which  could  betoken  cruel 
ty  or  fierceness.  The  eyes  of  a  deep  grayish 
blue,  although  large  and  well-opened,  were  rather 
sleepy  than  the  reverse,  in  their  ordinary  aspect : 
while  of  the  mouth,  that  most  expressive  feature 
of  the  face,  the  most  decided  character — blended 
with  much  of  firm  and  dauntless  resolution,  and 
no  little  of  contemptuous  haughtiness — was  pas 
sionate  voluptuousness.  He  wore  no  hair  upon 
his  face,  which,  though  much  sunburnt,  and  even 
swarthy  from  exposure  to  the  fierce  sun  of  the 
tropics,  was  by  no  means  flushed  or  ruddy — nei 
ther  mustache  nor  whisker — except  one  peaked 
tuft  upon  his  lower  lip,  many  shades  darker  than 
the  sunny  locks  which  fell  in  natural  curls  over 
the  collar  of  his  doublet.  The  garments  of  this 
remarkable  figure  were  no  less  striking  than  his 
personal  appearance.  Upon  his  head,  set  very 
much  to  the  right,  so  as  to  leave  the  waving  ring 
lets  of  the  other  side  free  to  the  breeze  and  sun 
shine,  he  had  a  small  cap  of  dark  purple  velvet, 
encircled  by  three  folds  of  a  delicate  chain,  or 
fanfarona — the  workmanship  of  which,  although 
the  metal  was  pure  gold,  surpassed  in  value  its 
material — and  farther  decorated  by  a  single  os 
trich-feather,  near  half  an  ell  in  length,  of  perfect 
whiteness.  Over  a  full-sleeved  vest  of  snowy 
satin,  fastened  at  the  bosom  by  a  dozen  buttons — 
each  one  a  solid  pearl  as  large  as  a  hazel-nut — all 
linked  together  by  a  slight  Venetian  chain,  he 
wore  a  sleveless  coat  of  the  same  velvet  with  his 
cap,  laced  down  the  seams  with  gold,  lined  with 
white  silk,  and  decked  with  pendant  studs  of  gold 
filagree,  and  loops  of  bullion.  White  satin 
breeches,  and  white  silken  hose  with  gold  clocks, 
and  red-heeled  shoes,  completed  his  attire ;  but 
round  his  waist  was  twisted  a  sash  of  purple  net 
work,  entwined  with  strands  of  gold,  from  which 
hung  at  the  opposite  sides  his  basket-hilted  rapier, 
and  a  long  two-edged  dagger  in  a  shark-skin  scab 
bard — while  a  broad  baldric  of  the  same  mate- 


12 


RINGWOOD    THE    ROVER, 


rials,  thrown  over  his  right  shoulder,  supported 
not 'less  than  six  pistols,  of  rare  workmanship 
and  finish.  The  rowers  who  propelled  this  pow 
erful  barge,  were  all  attired  in  velvet  caps  and 
jerkins,  with  plumes,  and  scarfs  of  costly  silk, 
and  chains  of  gold  and  jewelry — and,  like  their 
leader,  were  all  armed  to  the  teeth  with  cutlass, 
dirk  and  pistols  ;  while  through  the  whole  length 
of  the  vessel,  were  stacked,  ready  to  their  hands, 
the  heavy  musquetoons  or  carbines  of  the  day. 
The  crews  of  the  other  boats,  which  swept  on, 
all  abreast,  scarce  an  oar's  length  asunder,  were 
adorned  with  equal  splendor  ;  and,  as  they  leaped 
ashore,  and  fell  into  a  serried  line,  with  ported 
carbines — seven  hundred  men  in  number  at  the 
smallest  calculation — a  more  magnificent  array 
can  scarcely  be  conceived,  than  was  drawn  up 
before  the  gaze  of  the  dismayed  and  anxious 
Spaniards. 

After  a  pause  of  a  few  moments,  which  seemed 
ages  to  the  distracted  father,  who  had  recovered 
from  his  swoon  to  a  full  sense  of  his  anguish,  the 
splendid  captain  of  the  pirates  advanced  alone,  a 
pistol-shot  in  front  of  the  well-ordered  buccaneers, 
followed  at  a  respectful  distance  by  four  others, 
whose  dress,  as  sumptuous,  though  less  tasteful 
than  that  of  their  superior,  betokened  them  the 
officers  of  the  inferior  vessels.  Behind  these 
men,  again,  stepped  forth  as  many  privates,  two 
and  two,  leading  between  them  the  damsel  and 
the  stripling,  who,  with  the  negro  maiden,  were 
now  the  sole  survivors  from  above  two  hundred 
souls,  the  crew  and  passengers  of  the  proud  fri 
gate,  of  which  not  now  a  wreck  remained,  to 
tell  how  she  had  sailed  the  deep  in  fleet  and  fear 
less  beauty. 

"  Ho !  Juan  de  Melendez" — he  exclaimed, 
when  he  had  drawn  so  near  the  walls,  that  every 
accent  of  his  deep  voice  could  be  heard  with  ease 
— "  Juan  Melendez  de  Aviles,  I  summon  thee 
forthwith  to  yield  this  city,  and  these  forts,  named 
of  St.  Augustine,  to  our  mercy!"  He  spoke  in 
pure  Castilian  Spanish,  though  with  a  trifling 
foreign  accent;  so  light,  indeed,  that  but  to  an 
ear  well  practiced  it  would  not  have  been  at  all 
perceptible. 

"  And  who  art  thou,  who  summonest  so  bold 
ly?" — returned  the  governor,  manning  himself  to 
endure  the  torture,  which  his  high  sense  of  duty  and 
of  honor  told  him  he  might  not  even  hope  to  shun 
— "  and  what  hast  thou  to  set  forth  as  a  reasona 
ble  cause,  why  we,  the  armed  and  numerous  pos 
sessors  of  strong  works  mounting  much  and  heavy 
ordnance,  well  found  and  victualled  for  a  six 
months'  siege,  should  yield  us  to  a  handful,  with 
out  artillery  to  batter  our  defences,  or  ladders  to 
assail  our  ramparts !" 


"  I — if  it  could  avail  thee  any  thing  to  know" 
— replied  the  pirate,  his  lip  writhing  as  he  spoke, 
with  bitter  scorn — "  I  am  called  Ringwood — Re 
ginald  Ringwood,  once  of  merry  England — Think, 
Juan  Melendez,  think !  If  thine  ear  may  not  find 
something  familiar  in  that  sound — ask  thy  false 
heart  to  prompt  it ! — and  for  a  cause — behold  these 
arguments ! — perchance,  though  thine  eye  may 
not  recognize  a  man  whom  thy  tongue,  scarce  six 
years  ago,  styled  friend  and  brother,  it  may  be 
more  successful  in  deciphering  the  lineaments  of 
this  girl-like  stripling !" 

"And  what  of  these?"  replied  the  father, 
struggling  vainly  to  conceal  the  agonies  of  his 
paternal  terrors — "  what  of  these  innocent,  de 
fenceless  children  ? — or  what  have  they  to  make 
with  the  rendition  of  this  city  ?" 

"  Innocent — and  defenceless  !"  sneered  the  buc 
caneer,  "  and  knew  not  Juan  de  Aviles,  any  child, 
ever,  as  innocent — as  defenceless — as — nay,  ten 
thousand  times  more — lovely  and  more  loved — to 
whom,  nor  beauty,  nor  innocence,  nor  helpless 
ness,  availed  any  thing?  Now,  by  the  great  God, 
Spaniard,"  he  continued,  lashing  himself  as  he  went 
on  into  a  state  of  fierce  and  terrible  excitement, 
"now,  by  the  great  God,  Spaniard,  that  shall 
judge  between  us  two,  thou  hast  but  sealed  thy 
doom !  What,  dost  thou  ask,  have  these  to  make 
with  the  rendition  of  this  city  ?  This ! — very 
simply  this  !  That  if,  within  one  hour,  the  city  be 
not  rendered  to  our  pleasure,  your  boy  shall  die 
upon  the  beach  before  thine  eyes,  by  such  variety 
of  torture,  as  never  yet  racked  human  sinews ! 
And  for  the  girl — thou  shalt  behold  her  undergo 
things,,  fifty — nay  !  but  fifty  thousand  times  more 
terrible  than  death  protracted  and  made  horrible 
by  the  most  lingering  torments.  Choose !  thou 
hast  but  one  hour  !" 

"And  what  if  we  should  render  us — not  that 
the  mere  thought  of  such  a  deed  is  possible  !" — 
quivering  with  anguish  in  every  iron  limb,  the 
Spaniard  answered — "  what  terms  dost  thou  offer 
if  we  should  render  us?" 

"Life!"  was  the  stern  reply.  "Life  to  the 
soldiers  of  the  garrison,  and  liberty  to  march  out 
with  their  arms  and  three  rounds  of  munition ! 
We  know  your  numbers,  fair  sir,  far  too  well  to 
dread  them !  Thy  son  and  daughter  shall  be  re 
stored  to  thee  unhurt — for  the  rest  we  will  hold 
the  city  for  three  days'  space,  using  all  property, 
all  persons  therein,  as  our  own — and  at  the  three 
days'  end,  we  take  with  us  whatsoe'er  we  list ! 
up  anchors !  and  sheet  topsails  home  !  and  farewell 
to  fair  St.  Augustine  !" 

With  an  unutterable  air  of  blank  dismay,  the 
officers  upon  the  bastion  gazed  in  each  other's 
faces.  The  terms  were  such  as  men  could  not 


A    TALE    OF    FLORIDA. 


13 


endure — and     the    alternative     scarce    less    ap 
palling  ! 

The  agony,  the  mute,  despairing,  ghastly  torture 
depicted  in  every  speaking  picture — in  the  dull, 
scarcely  conscious  air  of  Juan's  eye,  in  the  con 
vulsive  writhing  of  his  pale  ashy  lip,  from  which 
the  gnawing  teeth,  though  they  bit  deep  and  keenly, 
could  force  no  drop  of  blood — were  scarcely  more 
heart-rending  than  the  tremendous  bursts  of  pas 
sionate  and  impotent  phrensy,  with  which  the 
youthful  lover — the  noble,  brave  and  beautiful 
Don  Amadis,  raved  with  mad  gestures  and  wild 
imprecations,  to  and  fro  the  ramparts ! 

"  Beware  '."  after  a  long,  awful  interval,  during 
which  he  had  gloated  with  a  mixed  expression  of 
pleasure,  exultation  and  contempt,  over  the  evi 
dent  misery  of  the  man  whom,  as  his  dark  words 
and  half-uttered  hints  implied,  he  had  good  cause 
to  hate,  with  that  unbending  and  insatiate  hatred, 
which,  if  intensity  may  give  any  token  whereby 
to  estimate  duration,  may  survive  even  death  it 
self.  "  Beware,  I  say  !"  cried  Ringwood,  "and, 
now,  I  speak  in  mercy!  Beware,  I  say,  how 
thou  decidest.  For  by  my  wrongs,  the  depth  of 
which  none  know  so  well  as  thou !  and  by  my 
love  for  her — which  such  a  soul — if  any  soul,  in 
deed,  be  thine — so  base,  and  sensual,  and  brutish 
— cannot  so  much  as  fancy !  and  by  those  hopes  of 
vengeance,  which  have  alone  thus  far  sustained 
me,  blighted  although  I  be,  and  blasted — to  gain 
which  I  have  lived,  and  wlu'ch,  once  gained,  I  will 
die  happy — by  all  these  solemn  things,  I  swear  to 
thee,  if  thou  refuse  my  proffer,  I  will  not  bate 
one  jot  of  this  which  I  have  threatened !  Nay, 
more  !  this  done — for  fancy  not  thy  paltry  walls 
or  boasted  ordnance  could,  for  ten  minutes'  space 
oppose,  much  less  bear  back,  our  onset — this  done, 
I  say — we  toill  be  masters  of  your  city,  spite 
earth,  or  hell,  or  heaven ! — and,  masters  of  it,  not 
one  woman,  from  the  grandame  of  fourscore,  or 
to  the  fresh  virgin  of  fourteen,  shall  escape  the 
worst  pollution !  not  one  man,  nor  one  boy,  nay ! 
not  the  babe  that  is  unborn,  shall  flee  the  sword's 
edge — not  one  building,  from  God's  temple,  down 
to  the  wretched  negro's  kennel,  but  shall  share 
the  all-devouring  flame !  Before  to-morrow's 
dawn,  if  ye  submit  not  to  my  terms,  there  shall 
not  be  one  living  thing — there  shall  not  be  one 
stone  upon  another,  to  tell  the  story  of  your  ruin  ! 
Choose,  then — choose  wisely — but  see  that  ye 
choose,  likewise,  very  shortly  !  One  hour  !  I 
have  spoken !" 

"  Thou  speakest  mere  impossibilities'' — replied 
the  miserable  father — "and  that  full  well  thou 
knowest !  For  how — were  I  so  minded — should 
I  compel  all  these  to  yield  their  homes  to  confla 
gration — their  children  to  the  sword — their  wo 


men  to  dishonor  !     Ask  any  thing  but  this,  and  on 
the  instant  it  shall  be  performed!" 

"  Thou  hast  heard!" — was  the  stern  reply — 
"  and  /  have  said !" 

"  If  thou  wouldst  have  wealth,  say  the  word — 
our  swollen  treasuries  would  suffice  to  glut  the 
wildest  avarice." 

"I  have  said!" — answered  the  pirate,  fiercely, 
dashing  his  heel  with  furious  energy  into  the 
yielding  sand — "I  have  said — nor  would  the 
gold  of  El  Dorado  buy  thee  one  moment's 
mercy!" 

"  If  vengeance — I — I,  Juan  Melendez — I  whom 
you  hate  so  deadly — I  will  come  forth  to  ye  un 
armed — will  yield  me  to  the  utmost  of  your  ma 
lice — yea !  I  will  bless  your  torments,  so  these 
may  return  harmless !" 

"  And  I" — exclaimed  Don  Amadis  Ferrajo, 
spinging  with  outstretched  arms  upon  the  battle 
ments — "high  privilege  it  were  to  die  for  thee, 
Teresa!" 

"And  I — and  I — and  I" — responded  twenty 
voices,  in  a  breath,  of  the  bold  cavaliers,  who 
stood  upon  the  bastion ;  and  who,  till  now,  dispi 
rited  and  cowed  by  the  sight  of  anguish  which 
they  might  neither  heal  nor  hinder,  kindled  to 
sudden  animation  at  the  high  hope  of  rescuing,  by 
their  own  self-devoting  gallantry,  those  innocent 
and  spotless  victims,  blazed  forth  in  all  the  lustre 
of  their  Castilian  chivalry  at  the  proud  words  of 
Amadis. 

A  low  and  sneering  laugh  was  the  sole  answer, 
for  the  vengeful  buccaneer,  as  he  perceived  by  the 
increasing  agitation  of  the  Spaniards  the  full  ex 
tent  of  his  advantage,  waxed  but  the  firmer  and 
the  cooler  for  all  their  menaces  and  prayers. 

"Monster! — ha!  devil!" — shouted  the  fiery 
Amadis,  goaded  by  the  calm  and  contemptuous  air 
of  Ringwood,  into  a  state  of  utter  phrensy — 
"  devil !  thou  shalt  not  live  to  boast  of  it !" — and 
snatching,  as  he  spoke,  a  long-barreled  harquebuse 
from  a  sentinel  beside  him,  he  took  a  rapid  aim, 
and  before  any  of  his  comrades  could  interpose  to 
hinder  him — for  all  perceived  the  madness  of  the 
action — fired  it  against  the  head  of  the  proud 
Rover. 

He  was  a  practiced  and  a  steady  marksman,  was 
that  hot-blooded  gallant :  nor,  had  his  soul's  salva 
tion  been  staked  upon  the  shot,  could  his  aim  have 
been  more  accurate  or  guarded.  Before  the  sharp 
report  had  reached  any  of  the  tremulous  specta 
tors  who  gazed,  as  though  their  all  was  periled 
by  the  deed — almost  before  the  flash  had  gleamed 
upon  their  eyes — the  long  white  plume,  which 
graced  the  cap  of  Ringwood,  was  cut  sheer  off 
within  an  inch  or  less  of  his  unblenching  head ; 
and  was  borne  away,  glancing,  and  fluttering  like 


14 


R1NGWOOD    THE    ROVER, 


a  sea-bird's  wing  over  the  sparkling  billows,  by 
the  light  western  breeze.  With  a  wild  yell  of 
savage  execration,  the  pirate  line  rushed  forward. 
But  scarcely  had  they  made  six  steps,  with  bran 
dished  arms  and  furious  gestures  toward  the  Span 
ish  works,  before  the  loud  clear  voice  of  their 
commander  was  heard,  as  composed  and  slow,  as 
though  he  had  been  speaking  to  a  comrade  across 
the  festive  board ! — 

"  Halt !  ho  ! — is  this  your  discipline  ? — and  his 
right  hand  raised  quietly  aloft,  without  a  sign  of 
menace — scarce  even  of  authority — sufficed  upon 
the  instant  to  arrest  those  hardy  desperadoes,  that 
they  stood  motionless  and  silent  as  a  rank  of 
statues. 

"  And  this" — he  said,  turning  his  eyes,  with 
a  scornful  smile  upon  his  lips  toward  the  ramparts 
— "this  is  your  Spanish  honor — this  your  respect 
for  the  white  flag,  which  even  savage  and  heathen 
venerate  !  Excellent  well,  young  man !  excellent 
well,  and  wisely  was  it  done  :  '  Tis  like  that  these 
would  be  more  merciful,  seeing  their  captain 
slaughtered  here,  before  their  face,  under  a  flag  of 
truce  !  Had  I  been  other  than  I  am,  this  gallant 
deed  might  have  anticipated,  somewhat,  the  time 
when  these  shall  suffer.  As  it  is  neither  for  fear 
nor  favor — neither  for  anger  nor  remorse — hath 
Ringwood  ever  swerved — be  it  for  good  or  evil — 
from  his  word !  nor  can  so  slight  a  thing  as  thou 
move  his  most  slight  resolve,  more  than  the  sum 
mer  wind  can  lift  the  earth-fast  oak  from  its 
abiding  place.  I  said  an  hour — the  half  of  it  has 
flown — half  yet  remains  to  ye,  to  sport,  or  grieve, 
as  it  seems  best  to  ye  ! — that  past,  the  boy  here 
dies  in  torment.  The  girl  lives  for  our  pleasure, 
and  our  scorn !" 

Even  before  the  fierce  rush  of  the  pirates  had 
been  made,  the  officers  around  had  seized  the 
youthful  lover  and  disarmed  him,  reproaching 
him  unsparingly  for  the  insane  and  desperate 
deed  to  which  his  uncurbed  passions  had  excited 
him — "  Amadis — Amadis,"  cried  the  grayheaded 
veteran  Diego,  "thank  God  upon  your  knees — 
with  your  whole  heart,  and  strength,  and  spirit, 
thank  him,  that  your  mad  effort  failed.  Had  thy 
shot  struck  down  him,  at  whom  it  was  so  deadly 
aimed — she,  whom  thou  lovest,  had  been  lost,  past 
hope,  past  redemption?" 

"Young  man,"  exclaimed  the  fiery  governor, 
rendered  more  fierce  than  ever  he  was  wont,  by 
the  increase  of  peril  to  his  children,  by  that  most 
inconsiderate  action;  "  young  man,  hidalgo  though 
thou  be,  and  belted  knight  of  Calatrava,  I  swear 
to  thee,  had  that  shot  taken  place,  I  would  have 
stripped  and  bound  thee  like  a  dog,  and  hurled 
thee  headlong  from  the  bastions.  As  it  is,  if 
aught  ill  befall  my  children,  to  thee  I  lay  it — 


see    thou    be    ready  to   make    full   atonement : 
for—" 

Ere  he  had  finished  speaking,  with  a  shriek  so 
tremendous,  that  to  describe  its  tones,  or  even  its 
effects  on  those  who,  shaken  as  they  were  by  the 
dread  scenes  enacting  in  their  sight,  were  har 
rowed  to  the  very  soul  by  that  appalling  cry,  were 
utterly  impossible — a  female  of  some  forty-five 
or  even  fifty  years,  but  still  remarkable  for  ma 
tronly  majestic  beauty,  with  her  long  hair  di 
sheveled,  and  her  large  dark  eyes  glaring  terribly, 
rushed  up  the  narrow  steps,  and  stood  unveiled, 
with  all  her  garments  in  wild  disarray,  among 
that  group  of  warriors.  "My  children!"  she 
cried— "Oh!  God!  God!  my  children!" 

None  spoke — none  had  words,  or  breath,  or 
heart,  to  speak  to  her — and  she  went  on,  mingling 
the  wildest,  the  most  eloquent  appeals  to  Heaven 
for  mercy  and  for  succor,  with  yells  and  shrieks, 
that  made  the  very  hair  to  bristle  on  the  heads, 
and  the  chilled  blood  to  curdle  in  the  veins  of  all 
who  heard  her — even  of  the  unpitying,  unsparin 
desperadoes,  who,  though  they  shuddered  at,  the"*" 
knew  not  what,  swerved  not  in  their  fell  purpose, 
nor  ever  even  dreamed  of  mercy.  Arid  now  she 
would  blaspheme,  and  rave  with  execrations,  such 
as  had  scarcelv  been  outdone  by  the  profanity  of 
the  most  desperate  of  men ;  calling  down  curses 
on  the  heads  alike  of  those  who  held  her  children 
prepared  for  instant  execution — of  those  who 
could  not,  howsoever  they  might  pant  to  do  so, 
strike  one  blow  for  the  rescue,  without  ensuring 
by  that  blow,  more  certainly  than  even  now  it 
was  decreed,  their  doom — and  on  her  own  head, 
most  of  all — for  that  she  had  borne,  and  nursed 
them  at  her  breast,  and  trained  them  up  so  pure, 
and  beautiful,  and  brave — and  all  for  such  an 
end! 

Once  Juan  drew  his  sword — once  almost  gave 
the  word,  to  cast  the  sally-port  wide  open — to  rush 
down  with  pike,  and  harquebuse,  and  rapier,  under 
the  cover  of  the  volleying  cannon — to  cry  "  St. 
Jago  and  God  aid !" — to  set  all  on  the  cast  of  one 
desperate  charge !  But  hope  and  prudence  con 
quered.  It  cannot  be,  he  thought — his  hopes  sug 
gesting  arguments  which  his  more  sober  reason 
would  have  at  once  discovered  nothing  worth — for 
well  did  Juan  Melendez  know  the  unbending  spi 
rit,  the  tameless  heaven-daring  pride,  the  daunt 
less  valor  of  the  man  who  stood  before  him — not 
now,  as  once,  a  wronged,  and  helpless  exile,  but 
in  the  plenitude  of  power,  and  pride,  and  venge 
ance  !  It  cannot  be  that  a  mere  buccaneer,  a  sor 
did,  selfish  pirate  would — or  would  be  permitted 
to — surrender  his  or  his  comrades'  common  in 
terest  for  any  private  vengeance,  how  grateful  or 
how  sweet  soever.  And  in  these  frantic  hopes, 


A    TALE    OF    FLORIDA. 


15 


mingled  with  fears,  if  possible  more  frantic,  the 
fatal  moment  passed. 

"  Juan!"  once  more  exclaimed  the  deep  sonor 
ous  accents  of  the  Englishman — "  Juan  Melendez 
de  Aviles,  the  hour  I  gave  thee  hath  elapsed — 
once  more  I  ask-  of  thee — shall  these  two  live  or 
die  ?  If  thou  wouldst  have  them  live,  down  draw 
bridge,  up  portcullis,  and  march  out,  thou  and  thy 
veterans,  and  thy  family — for  three  days  will  we 
hold  the  city,  doing  to  it,  and  all  within  it,  as  to 
us  shall  seem  fitting — after  three  days  will  we 
embark  in  our  good  ships  and  trouble  ye  no 
more,  here  at  St.  Augustine — and  for  assurance 
that  we  will  preserve  our  faith  with  ye,  myself 
will  be  hostage  in  your  hands — even  in  yours,  the 
deadliest  of  my  foemen !  Choose  now — choose, 
choose,  Juan  Melendez,  and  if  thou  doomest  these 
— these  thine  own  flesh  and  blood,  on  whom  even 
I,  who  have  such  cause  to  hate  them,  scarce  can 
look  without  pity — if  thou  do  this,  say  not  that  it 
is  I,  but  thou  who  art  their  slayer  !" 

The  brow  of  Ringwood,  as  he  spoke,  grew 
very  pale,  and  his  lips  absolutely  ashy  in  their 
tints.  Yet  his  eye  was  as  bright,  and  even  calm, 
as  ever ;  and  not  a  muscle  worked,  or  a  nerve 
quivered,  in  those  stern  features,  or  that  stately 
frame. 

"  Mercy!"  exclaimed  Melendez,  stretching  forth 
his  clasped  hands  toward  the  pirate,  "  mercy.  As 
thou  mayest,  one  day,  ask  for  it  thyself — show 
mercy !" 

"  As  I  received  it,  one  day,  at  thine  hands,  when 
I  did  crave  it,  so  will  I  show  it,  Juan,"  replied  the 
buccaneer.  "  Speak,  now,  speak  out,  I  say  !  Wilt 
thou  yield  up  the  town  ?" 

"  I  will  not,"  answered  Melendez  very  firmly, 
"  God  help  me— I  will  do  my  duty." 

"  Then  hear  me — thy  son  will  I  torture  here  to 
death  before  thy  very  eyes — thy  daughter,  if  thou 
move  not  to  sally,  for  the  time  is  safe — if  but 
the  bridge  be  lowered,  or  one  shot  fired,  I  yield 
her  on  the  instant  to  the  mercy  of  my  crew.  Lead 
out  the  boy!" 

And  that  pale  stripling  was  led  out  before  his 
father's  face — pale,  indeed,  even  to  ghastliness, 
partly  from  the  loss  of  blood,  and  partly  from  the 
conscious  horror  of  his  situation.  Yet  he  bore  up 
with  dauntless  courage,  and,  though  a  mere  boy, 
proved  himself,  in  that  extremity,  a  worthy  scion 
of  his  proud  race. 

"  Teresa,"  he  said,  as  he  left  his  sister's  side, 
"  God  bless  thee,  and  farewell,  and  may  He  grant 
that  I  may  bear  this  agony  for  both.  Father,  let 
me  see  that  you  look  as  bravely  on  my  death,  as 
I  shall  bear  it ;  unman  me  not  by  any  weakness  ; 
I  would  die  as  becomes  thy  son,  and  a  Castilian. 
Now,  sir,  I  am  ready." 


It  was  a  most  strange  sight.  The  lip  of  Ring- 
wood  quivered,  as  he  looked  on  the  brave  boy,  and 
all  the  muscles  of  his  face,  which  had  hitherto 
been  as  tense  and  cold  as  steel,  relaxed  a  little, 
and  a  tear  swam  in  his  gray  eye ;  he  was,  it 
seemed,  on  the  point  of  yielding.  But  with  a 
mighty  effort  he  dashed  off  the  growing  weakness. 
"I,  too,"  he  said,  "painfully,  although  it  be,  and 
bitter;  I  too  have  my  duty." 

He  cast  a  sign  to  the  assistants,  and  they  made 
the  boy  kneel  down  upon  the  sands,  and  bound  a 
knotted  whipcord  closely  about  his  temples,  and 
thrust  between  it  and  the  flesh  the  stout  steel- 
mounted  stock  of  a  ship-pistol.  One  strong  man 
seized  each  arm,  and  held  him  steady  by  the  full 
exertion  of  their  united  strength  !  Having  made 
that  one  signal,  Ringwood  cast  no  glance  more 
toward  the  hapless  boy,  but  riveted  his  eagle  eye, 
with  an  intense  expression  of  horrible  exulting 
pleasure,  full  on  the  father's  face. 

"It  is  done,  captain,"  whispered  the  third  of 
those  fell  satellites. 

"  Proceed !"  replied  the  Rover,  never  removing 
once  his  eyes  from  the  distorted  features  of  the 
governor.  "Proceed!" 

And  at  the  word,  the  wretch  who  had  last 
spoken,  seizing  the  pistol  by  the  barrel,  twisted  it 
round  and  round,  tightening  at  every  strain  the 
knotted  cord,  'till  it  pierced  through  the  skin,  and 
flesh,  and  sinews,  and  pressed  with  agonizing 
keenness  into  the  solid  bone  itself.  Manfully — 
wonderfully — did  that  pale  stripling  bear  the  in 
tense  anguish — anguish,  the  horrible  extremity  of 
which  was  but  too  well  displayed  by  the  deep 
crimson  flush,  which  had  supplanted  the  ghastly 
whiteness  of  his  brow — in  the  foam  that  flew 
from  his  churning  teeth,  in  the  dark  sweat  that 
gushed  from  every  pore.  Still  he  so  mastered 
that  appalling  torture,  that  he  spoke  not  a  word, 
nor  groaned,  nor  even  murmured !  Had  the 
fierce  Rover  looked  but  once  on  that  boy's  face, 
he  had  forgotten  all  his  wrongs,  all  his  deep 
hatred,  in  overwhelming  admiration.  He  would 
have  cried — had  the  cry  sealed  his  own  eternal 
doom — "hold!  hold!"  for  shame  if  not  for 
mercy  !  But  he  did  not  look  on  it — for  his  hard 
eyes  were  drinking  in,  with  fearful  satisfaction, 
the  tortures  visible  in  the  dark  features  of  his 
humbled  foeman !  At  length  the  tough  cord 
pierced  its  way  into  the  skull  itself ;  the  sightless 
eyes,  forced  from  their  sockets,  started  out  upon 
the  gory  cheeks ;  one  loud  long  yell  burst  from 
the  boy's  lips,  and  at  the  self-same  instant  Don 
Juan  Melendez  fell  back  into  the  arms  of  his 
attendants,  in  such  a  paroxysm  of  despair  and 
agony,  as  happily  deprived  him  of  all  conscious 
ness  for  hours.  The  yet  more  wretched  mother 


16 


RINGWOOD    THE    ROVER, 


had  been  dragged  from  the  bastions,  forcibly,  be 
fore  that  hellish  scene  commenced,  or  she  had 
perished  at  the  sight ! 

As  Ringwood  saw  his  enemy  fall  senseless,  as 
the  boy's  yell  pierced  his  scarce  conscious  ears, 
a  deep  flush  crossed  his  brow  ;  he  snatched  a  pis 
tol  from  his  baldric,  turned  short  upon  his  wretch 
ed  victim,  and  fired  full  at  the  head,  not  three 
feet  distant  from  the  muzzle.  One  spasm — one 
quick  convulsive  shudder — and  all  was  over,  ere 
yet  the  echoes  of  the  death-shot  had  subsided ! 
Was  that  an  echo — that  deep  sullen  roar  ?  Again ! 
again  !  No  !  'Tis  the  sound  of  ordnance  !  And 
lo !  in  clear  sight,  on  the  bright  horizon,  four 
pyramids  of  sail,  looming  up  larger  and  more 
near,  as  every  second  passes.  And  now  what 
floats  above  those  lofty  royals — what  but  the  yel 
low  flag  with  the  three  castles  of  Castile  ?  Hark  ! 
to  that  cheer,  awful,  and  deep,  and  solemn,  which 
rushes  up  to  heaven  from  the  beleaguered  ram 
parts,  full  of  a  thousand  mingled  feelings — of 
gratitude  for  unexpected  safety — of  hope  for 
coming  vengeance ! 


CHAPTER  III. 

Well  was  it  for  the  buccaneers,  that  the  wind 
died  away,  which  had  brought  into  sight  so  rapidly 
the  Spanish  caravellas ;  for  had  the  four  tall  fri 
gates,  which,  deserted  by  the  sea  breeze,  were 
soon  obliged  to  drop  their  anchors  at  the  very 
entrance  of  the  bay,  four  miles  at  least  from  the 
vessels  of  the  pirates — been  able  to  run  in,  the 
small  light  picaroons  of  the  Rovers,  heavily 
armed,  although  they  were  in  proportion  to  their 
rate  and  burthen,  would  have  stood  but  a  sorry 
chance,  hemmed  in  between  the  heavy  batteries 
of  those  floating  castles  to  the  seaward,  and  the 
yet  heavier  cannon  of  the  ramparts,  should  they 
attempt  to  run  into  shoal  water. 

It  was  evident,  moreover,  that  the  newly  arrived 
ships  were  already  in  no  small  degree  suspicious 
of  the  character  and  intentions  of  the  squadron 
moored  in  shore  ;  as  appeared  from  the  quick  in 
terchange  of  signals,  between  the  Spanish  flag 
ship,  which  was  the  first  to  anchor,  and  her  com 
rades.  In  obedience  to  these  signals,  the  four 
tall  vessels  came  to  anchor,  all  nearly  in  a  line 
at  equal  distances  across  the  harbor,  so  as  to  ren 
der  escape  difficult  if  not  impossible — and  in  a 
few  moments  afterward,  in  consequence  of  a  fresh 
flag  shown  at  the  mast-head,  a  second  cable  was 
carried  out  from  the  stern  of  every  frigate,  and 
she  was  warped  round,  till  she  lay  broadside  to 
the  bay  with  all  her  frowning  batteries  command 
ing  the  long  expanse  of  water,  across  which  the 


)icaroons  must  sail  exposed  to  their  raking  fire, 
f  they  should  seek  to  force  a  passage.  The  dis- 
ance  and  the  apparently  hopeless  position  of  the 
mccaneers  preventing  the  Spaniards,  as  it  would 
;eem,  from  sending  their  boats'  crews  to  ascer- 
ain  their  character,  if  not  to  cut  them  out  and 
capture  them. 

It  must  not  be  supposed  that  it  took  the  keen 
and  practiced  intellect  of  Ringwood  so  long  a 
time  to  apprehend  his  own  position,  and  the  inten 
tions  of  the  enemy,  as  it  has  occupied  us  to 
describe  them.  On  the  contrary,  they  had  not 
dropped  their  anchors,  before  he  had  envisaged 
ully  the  extent  of  his  own  danger,  and  calculated 
accurately  the  chances  of  effecting  his  escape,  un 
der  circumstances  which  seemed  so  unpromising. 
Forming  his  men  into  four  columns,  he  com 
manded  them  to  retreat  by  turns,  one  body  facing 
the  ramparts  with  leveled  harquebuse,  and  pike  in 
rest,  while  another  fell  back,  till  they  had  all 
reached  the  gravelly  margin  of  the  bay.  Then 
judging  from  the  movements  on  the  walls  and 
above  the  gate,  that  a  sally  was  about  to  be  at 
tempted,  he  strode  out  alone,  till  he  was  within 
earshot,  and  then  shouted  aloud — 

"  Beware  ! — beware  how  ye  raise  gate,  or 
lower  bridge,  or  do  but  so  much  as  to  threaten 
our  retreat ! — for  as  ye  do  so,  by  Him  who  know- 
eth  all  things  !  the  fate  of  your  crushed  clay," — 
and  he  pointed  with  a  meaning  smile  to  the  dead 
body  of  the  young  Melendez — "  the  fate  of  this 
crushed  clay  shall  be  a  lot  of  perfect  bliss  com 
pared  with  that  which  shall  light  on  your  sweet 
daughter  !"  And  with  the  words  he  fell  back 
slowly  to  his  men,  the  greater  part  of  whom  were 
already  on  board  their  boats,  leaving  the  Spa- 
nairds  dispirited,  and  faint,  and  sick  with  hope 
deferred.  Within  a  short  half  hour,  the  whole 
flotilla  was  in  motion,  dashing  up  the  clear  azure 
of  the  peaceful  bay,  with  hundreds  of  strong  oars ; 
and  ere  the  hour  was  well  accomplished,  each 
picaroon  had  received  its  complement,  had  hoisted 
in  its  boats,  and  lay,  all  hands  at  quarters,  ready 
for  action. 

When  Ringwood  reached  the  deck  of  his  fe 
lucca,  ordering  that  his  captive  should  be  con 
veyed  without  delay  to  his  own  private  cabin,  he 
took  to  his  perspective  glass  and  gazed  steadily 
and  long  toward  the  Spanish  caravellas,  and  far 
beyond  them  toward  the  open  sea. 

"  A  mist !;'  he  cried  anon,  after  examining  both 
sea  and  sky  with  anxious  scrutiny — "a  mist, 
coming  in  slowly  from  the  seaward ! — masthead 
there  ! — signalize  the  captains  of  the  squadron  to 
come  aboard  me  here  to  council," — and  with  the 
word  up  went  three  balls  to  the  masthead,  and 
bursting  as  they  reached  the  summit,  streamed  out 


A    TALE    OF    FLORIDA. 


17 


for  one  moment  three  bright  contrasted  signals. 
Within  five  minutes  after,  a  little  cutter  might  be 
seen  to  be  launched  from  the  side  of  every  pica 
roon,  and  darting  toward  the  principal  felucca,  as 
fast  as  oars  could  urge  it  through  the  water ;  yet 
still  the  Rover  swept  the  horizon  round  and  round 
with  his  telescope,  minutely  watching  every  sign 
and  symptom  of  the  weather,  fixing  his  gaze  most 
constantly  on  a  point  directly  landward,  where 
just  above  the  tree-tops  one  small  dark  cloud  with 
snow-white  edges  was  visible — quite  motionless — 
and  unconnected,  as  it  seemed,  with  any  mass  of 
vapor,  the  single  frown  of  the  bright  laughing 
heavens— the  single  frown,  full  of  dread  menace. 
Just  as  the  first  of  the  small  pinnaces  came  along 
side,  his  scrutiny  was  ended,  and  he  closed  his 
glass,  saying  to  himself  with  a  quiet  smile  of 
satisfaction, 

"A  mist  forthwith  from  the  seaward — and 
when  the  sunset  is  fully  passed,  a  hurricane  and 
land  tornado!  Ha!  Master  Cunninghame,"  he 
added  as  his  second  in  command  stepped  on  board, 
a  handsome,  fresh  complexioned,  fair-haired  Sax 
on,  "Ha!  Monsieur  Le  Fort — welcome,  good 
friends  and  comrades — Winslow  and  Drake !  wel 
come,  friends  all !  I  have  convoked  you  hither 
to  study  how  we  may  escape  scot  free  from  these 
toils,  that  now  seem  set  so  close  about  us.  And  be 
fore  heaven  ! — I  hold  the  clue,  my  masters.  See 
ye,  how  dark  this  sea-mist  is  now  gathering?  The 
Spaniards  must  lie  still  till  it  blow  over — and  then 
look  yonder,  to  the  bright  edges  of  yon  black 
cloud.  Ere  midnight  we  shall  have  a  land  torna 
do — then  must  yon  Spanish  lubbers  slip  their  stern 
cables,  and  swing  head  to  sea ;  and  then  will  we 
run  up  to  them  under  slight  storm  sails,  and,  it 
may  be,  slip  by  them  unperceived  in  the  deep 
gloom — if  not  engage  them  and  force  passage. — 
Lo !  here  my  masters,  when  I  shall  fire  a  bow  gun, 
hold  all  ready  to  cut  or  slip  your  cables !  and 
when  I  hoist  three  lanthorns  on  my  main,  then 
run  !  You,  Drake  and  Winslow,  since  that  your 
vessels  draw  least  water,  steer  you  betwixt  the 
headlands  of  the  bay,  on  the  right  hand  and  left, 
and  those  two  outward  frigates.  I  will  steer 
straight  between  the  central  two ;  ye,  Cunning 
hame  and  Le  Fort,  make  good  your  way  between 
the  others,  on  either  hand  of  me — when  ye  are 
all  at  sea,  fire  each  a  weather  gun,  and  burn  a 
blue  light  and  three  rockets— then  each  make  all 
sail  for  the  inlet,  and  so  huzza  for  home !  And 
one  word  more,  my  friends,  before  we  part — it 
will  blow  sturdily,  I  warrant  me — send  down  all 
masts  and  yards — have  your  ships  snug  and  easy, 
with  naught  abroad  but  a  small  rag  of  head  sail, 
so  to  steer.  Have  out  your  sweeps,  too, — to  get 
yourselves  before  the  wind,  if  need  be — none  may 


tell  certainly  where  the  tornado  may  strike  first- 
farewell,  be  brave  and  fortunate,  and  see  ye  reach 
your  vessels  ere  this  fog  commence ;  since  of  a 
surety  ye  scarce  will  find  their  berths,  when  once 
the  mist  gets  settled.  So,  my  friends,  once  more, 
fare  ye  well !" 

And  with  these  words,  accustomed  long  ago  to 
place  complete  reliance  on  the  opinion  of  that 
skillful  navigator,  and  to  yield  with  instinctive 
readiness  to  his  least  mandate,  his  four  comman 
ders  entered  their  boats,  and  hurried  to  their  sev 
eral  vessels,  although  in  truth  they  saw  no  symp 
toms — even  when  pointed  out  by  his  unerring 
judgment  —  of  the  approaching  changes  in  the 
weather  which  their  great  chief  prognosticated  so 
decidedly.  Not  long  was  it,  however,  that  they 
doubted ;  if  indeed  it  may  be  said  that  they  did 
doubt  at  all;  for  though  they  marveled,  and 
looked  anxiously  about  to  note  some  confirmation 
of  their  leader's  prophecy,  they  did  not  for  a  mo 
ment  presume  to  doubt  their  leader's  accuracy — 
for  ere  they  had  all  reached  their  vessels,  the  thin 
haze  which  had  for  some  time  floated  on  the  ex 
treme  horizon's  edge,  grew  thick  and  heavy — and 
by  and  by  came  rolling  onward  in  damp  and  pon 
derous  masses,  although  no  breath  of  air  could  be 
discovered,  by  which  it  was  urged  landward ;  and 
the  whole  atmosphere  grew  damp  and  watery. 
Then  one  by  one  the  caravellas  of  the  enemy 
were  swallowed  up  in  the  dense  gloom,  and  when 
their  own  low  rakish  picaroons  became  so  indis 
tinct  and  dim,  that  those  which  lay  farthest  from 
the  felucca  of  the  great  English  buccaneers  were 
not  reached  by  their  officers,  without  much  diffi 
culty  and  some  hazard.  Long  before  sunset,  no*} 
thing  was  visible  from  the  deck  of  any  one  of  that 
small  pirate  squadron,  but  the  calm  surface  of  the 
unmoved  sea,  and  that  within  a  circle  of  only  some 
fifty  yards  at  the  utmost,  beyond  which  all  was  one 
dead  drowsy  mass  of  impenetrable  vapor.  Yet 
so  well  had  the  officers  taken  the  bearings  of  the 
enemy,  of  the  headlands,  and  of  their  consort, 
that  there  was  not  one  of  their  number  who  was 
not  as  fully  acquainted  with  the  position  of  every 
thing  about  him,  as  he  could  have  been  had  the 
whole  scene  been  laughing  out  in  clear  broad  sun 
shine. 

All  day  the  crews  were  mustered,  and  toiling 
at  their  several  stations,  and  night  was  advanced 
somewhat,  ere  all  the  preparations  were  com 
pleted;  the  loftier  masts  sent  down,  the  yards 
housed  safely,  and  the  lighter  sails  unbent,  the  rig 
ging  all  repaired,  and  the  masts  fortified  with  extra 
stays  against  the  coming  tempest ;  the  guns  run 
out  and  loaded,  the  matches  lighted,  and  the  armed 
crews  at  quarters ;  the  heavy  sweeps  already  in  the 
water  and  ready,  at  a  word's  notice,  to  be  worked 


18 


RINGWOOD    THE    ROVER, 


by  powerful  strong-handed  gangs  ;  the  carpenter 
and  his  stout  mates,  prepared  with  their  broad 
axes  to  sever  the  strong  cables  at  a  blow,  and  let 
the  gallant  barks  shoot  seaward  ! 

The  sun  had  long  since  sunk  into  the  waves  and 
the  deep  palpable  obscure  of  night  been  added  to 
the  gloom  of  the  thick  fog-wreaths — no  stars  were 
in  the  sky,  no  moon,  "hid  in  her  vacant  interlu- 
nar  cave,"  hung  forth  her  silver  lamp  in  the  dark 
vault ;  for  clouds,  heavy  and  packed  and  solid,  had 
long  since  overspread  the  sky,  though  not  a  human 
eye  had  marked  them,  swelling  from  out  that  one 
small  spot  of  vapor,  till  they  had  blotted  out  each 
light  of  the  broad  empyrean,  from  the  horizon 
upward  to  the  zenith.  Midnight  was  near  at  hand 
— when  a  deep,  rumbling  roar,  as  of  ten  thousand 
chariots  rolling  upon  a  strong  causeway,  rushed 
up  from  the  landward ;  and,  after  filling  the  air 
for  some  short  space,  sunk  gradually  down  into  a 
faint,  sick  moan — unlike  to  any  sound  of  earth,  or 
air,  or  water.  It  ceased;  and  as  it  did  so  the 
sharp  and  ringing  discharge  of  a  long  brazen  cul- 
verin  burst  in  a  sheet  of  flame  from  the  lee  bow- 
port  of  the  Rover's  galley — and  scarcely  had  its 
echoes  died  away,  before  a  wide,  blue  sulphurous 
glare  seemed  to  rush  downward  bodily  from  the 
black  skies,  with  such  a  roar  of  thunder,  crash 
upon  crash,  and  peal  succeeding  peal,  as  stunned 
the  sternest  soul.  In  a  moment,  in  the  twinkling 
of  an  eye,  the  misty  wreaths  were  swept  seaward 
and  vanished ;  leaving,  however,  the  night  quite 
as  dark  as  ever ;  and  as  they  did  so,  up  shot  to 
Ringwood's  mainmast  head  three  glittering  Ian- 
thorns — sparkled  there  for  a  moment — and  were 
quenched  instantly,  by  the  fierce  whirling  breath 
of  the  tornado.  Bearing  on  its  mad  pinions  huge 
limbs  fresh-rent  from  the  tall  forest  trees,  whirl 
ing  the  level  surface  of  the  calm  bay  into  a  se 
ries  of  huge  and  snow-capped  billows,  and  anon 
sweeping  away  the  heads  of  those  vast  waves, 
and  beating  them  down  bodily  into  the  deep,  till 
the  whole  bosom  of  the  sea  was  one  wide,  white 
expanse  of  scattering,  hissing  spray — roaring  and 
howling — yea !  yelling  in  its  furious  might — soon 
came  the  tropical  tornado !  But  every  cable  was 
cut  sheer,  before  it  struck  the  water,  throughout 
the  Rover's  squadron — the  sweeps  were  out  and 
manned ;  the  picaroons  all  underway  and  steering, 
when  the  fierce  blast  fell  on  their  raked  spars  and 
scanty  canvas,  and  drove  them,  like  beings  full  of 
fiery  life,  bounding  across  the  waters. 

When  the  mist  cleared  away,  the  Spanish  cara- 
vellas  were  descried,  not  by  their  outlines — for  no 
human  eye  could  trace  an  outline  against  the 
swart  gloom  of  the  sky — but  by  the  broad  glare 
of  the  battle  lanthorns,  gleaming  out  from  their 
open  port-holes,  as  they  lay  broadside  toward  the 


bay,  all  manned  and  cleared  for  action ;  so  that 
her  course  was  definite  and  clear  to  each  one  of 
the  picaroons. 

But  when  the  dreadful  howl  of  the  tornado 
came  raving  through  the  tortured  air,  their  stern 
cables  were  all  slipped  at  once,  and  they  came 
heavily  round,  head  to  sea,  upon  the  instant;  and 
more  line  was  paid  out ;  and  though  they  rolled 
and  labored  fearfully,  yet  they  rode  still  secure, 
amid  ttye  frightful  uproar. 

No  light  was  seen,  no  voice  or  sound  was  heard, 
on  deck  of  any  one  of  Ringwood's  squadron ;  as 
driving  with  the  speed  of  light  before  the  raging 
hurricane,  they  neared  the  lofty  Spaniards — but 
loud  and  violent  was  the  confusion  and  the  din 
aboard  the  castled  caravellas.  Unseen  and  unsus 
pected,  leading  the  van  of  his  little  fleet,  the  Ro 
ver  rushed  into  the  space  between  the  central 
frigates,  and  so  rapidly  did  he  shoot  though,  be 
twixt  those  motionless  and  vast  masses,  that  the 
scared  crews  had  scarcely  time  to  note  his  transit ; 
yet  did  the  fearful  volley,  which  he  poured  forth 
from  each  broadside,  as  he  rushed  past,  plunge 
fatally  and  fast  into  their  clustered  masts — and 
when  they  sprung  in  turn  to  their  guns,  and  fired 
their  answering  salvos,  the  picaroon  had  shot  al 
ready  a  cable's  length  ahead,  and  the  two  Spanish 
ships  received  each  other's  shot,  thinning  their 
crews  more  fatally  than  had  the  Rover's  broadside, 
cutting  away  their  rigging,  piercing  their  castled 
sides,  and  shearing  their  spars  fearfully  of  their 
dimensions.  Under  the  cover  of  this  disastrous 
chance,  Cunninghame  and  Le  Fort  passed  undis 
covered,  with  their  guns  undischarged,  within 
half  pistol  shot  on  the  outside  of  these  same  two 
caravellas ;  and  when  the  Rover,  half  a  mile  now 
to  seaward,  fired  his  weather  gun,  burnt  his  blue 
lights,  and  sent  his  rockets  up  kindling  the  murky 
skies  with  their  clear  sparkles,  these  two  re 
sponded  on  the  instant,  with  ready  tokens  of  their 
safety.  Almost  at  the  same,  point  of  time  a  heavy 
cannonade  was  heard  from  the  two  outward  cara 
vellas,  and  scarce  ten  minutes  later,  the  two  re 
maining  picaroons  signaled  their  comrades  through 
the  gloom. 

Such  was  the  desperate  and  daring  feat,  long 
famous  as  the  master  deed  of  naval  warfare 
in  that  remote  and  early  age,  by  which  the  Eng 
lish  buccaneer  ran,  with  five  petty  picaroons,  the 
gantlet  of  Spain's  noblest  caravellas,  in  safety 
and  triumph — losing  no  man,  no  spar,  no  rope, 
how  trivial  it  might  be  soever,  bearing  his  captive 
with  him,  and  leaving  to  his  baffled  foes  sorrow, 
and  anguish,  and  despair. 

Ere  long  the  hurricane  subsided,  but  still  the 
breeze  blew  swift,  and  sure,  and  steady — and 
swiftly  danced  the  roving  barques  before  it.  All 


A    TALE    OF    FLORIDA. 


19 


night  it  blew,  and  all  night  long  the  Rover  paced 
the  deck,  but  when  the  daylight  broke  over  the 
foaming  ocean ;  and  when  he  swept  the  free  hori 
zon  with  his  glass,  and  saw  his  consorts  dancing 
merrily  behind  him,  and  not  a  sail  save  theirs  in 
sight,  whether  of  foe  or  stranger,  he  gave  his  deck 
in  charge  to  the  next  officer,  and  sought  his  pri 
vate  cabin,  and  his  unhappy  captive. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

The  cabin  into  which,  with  the  break  of  day, 
Ringwood  descended,  was,  according  to  invariable 
custom,  situate  in  the  extreme  after  part  of  the 
vessel,  so  as  to  enjoy  to  the  utmost  the  advantage 
afforded  by  the  stern  lights  for  cheerfulness  and 
ventilation.  In  its  other  arrangements,  however, 
it  differed  not  a  litttle  from  the  similar  apartments 
in  ships  of  war  of  that  or  indeed  any  other  day. 
All  the  guns,  which  were  carried  by  the  low  light 
picaroon,  were  on  her  upper  deck ;  which,  some 
what  in  advance  of  the  marine  architecture  of  the 
times,  was  perfectly  flush  from  stem  to  stern — by 
this  arrangement  the  whole  interior  of  the  vessel 
was  reserved,  free  from  the  encumbrance  of  the 
batteries,  for  the  ascommodation  of  the  numerous 
crew,  and  for  the  needful  stores  of  food  and  war 
munitions,  and  as  its  sub-divisions  were  not,  as 
has  been  said  above,  conformable  to  ordinary  prac 
tice,  it  will  not  be  superfluous  to  give  a  brief  de 
scription  of  their  fashion  and  appliances. 

In  the  first  place,  then,  be  it  observed,  that  the 
cabin  companion,  instead  of  being  situate  abaft  the 
mizen,  was  placed  about  half  way  betwixt  that 
spar  and  the  mainmast — the  stairway  which  it 
contained  opening  into  a  narrow  space,  between 
two  musket-proof  bulkheads,  perforated  with  loop 
holes  and  creneles  for  shot  of  harquebuse  or  car 
bine.  In  the  forward  of  these  partitions,  which 
ran  entirely  across  the  vessel,  there  was  no  aper 
ture  whatever,  except  the  shot-holes  above  men 
tioned — in  the  centre  of  the  other,  however, 
was  a  low  steel-clenched  door-way,  before  which 
a  sentinel  stood  on  duty  with  his  fire-lock  loaded 
night  and  day  ;  while  a  second,  similarly  armed, 
kept  guard  on  deck  by  the  companion  hatch.  This 
portal,  framed,  like  the  bulkheads,  of  timber  so 
thick  as  to  be  musket  proof,  gave  entrance  to  a 
narrow  passage,  running  fore  and  aft,  between  the 
armorer's  and  gunner's  store  rooms,  and  through 
another  strong  door  to  the  ward-room  or  apartment 
of  the  officers,  under  which  general  term  were 
included  all  the  classes  superior  to  the  private  ma 
rines,  with  no  distinction  as  to  warrant  or  com 
mission.  This  was  a  large,  low  space,  occupying 


the  whole  width,  and  about  twenty  feet  of  the 
length  of  the  vessel,  fitted  with  a  long  table  in  the 
centre,  above  which  there  swung  from  the  ceiling 
a  compass,  a  chronometer,  and  several  lamps.  The 
sides  were  occupied  by  berths  sufficiently  com 
modious  ;  while  a  range  of  lockers,  covered  with 
cushions  of  rich  velvet,  so  as  to  wear  the  semblance 
of  a  superb  divan,  ran  round  the  whole  apartment. 
The  light  was  admitted,  not  as  is  usual,  through  a 
skylight,  but  by  a  range  of  small  glazed  apertures 
pierced  through  the  sides  like  port-holes,  and  like 
them  provided  with  massive  shutters,  which  might 
be  battened  down  in  rough  and  stormy  weather, 
or  in  time  of  action.  When  it  is  added  to  this, 
that  the  deck  which  formed  the  floor  was  covered 
by  a  splendid  carpet  from  the  Turkish  loom — that 
the  curtains  of  the  berths  were  of  the  richest  arras 
tapestry — that  two  large  beauffets  of  some  costly 
Indian  wood  were  decked  with  gorgeous  plate, 
flagons  and  goblets,  covers,  and  cups,  and  tankards, 
of  gold  and  silver,  carved  and  embossed  with  the 
best  art  of  Italy's  best  sculptors — and  that,  in 
wondrous  contrast  to  the  luxurious  decoration  of 
the  room,  offensive  weapons  of  every  shape  and 
every  construction,  were  disposed  ready  to  meet 
the  hand,  wherever  any  vacant  space  was  left  for 
their  arrangement — a  very  fair  idea  may  be  formed 
of  the  wild  blending  there  displayed  of  almost  re 
gal  pomp  with  warlike  preparation.  Thus  round 
the  mainmast  was  suspended,  in  a  fair  gilded  rack, 
a  stand  of  partisans  with  shafts  of  ebony,  and 
blades,  two  feet  in  length,  of  brightly  polished 
steel.  Upon  the  bulkheads,  at  each  end  of  the 
apartment,  pistols  and  carbines,  loaded  and  primed, 
and  ready  for  immediate  service,  and  Turkish  ya- 
tagans,  Damascus  cimiters,  blades  of  Bilboa  and 
Toledo,  with  Malay  creases,  Scottish  dirks,  and 
poniards  of  Italian  fabric,  all  glittering  with 
golden  chasings,  and  bright  gems  were  placed  in 
fantastical  devices,  of  stars,  and  suns,  and  cres 
cent's,  reflecting  every  beam  of  light,  and  almost 
rivaling  in  splendor  the  luminaries  in  whose  forms 
they  had  been  modeled.  Beside  this  common 
stock,  to  every  column,  parting  the  sleeping 
berths,  was  attached  a  complete  panoply — with 
fascinet,  cuirass,  and  buckler,  pistols  and  boarding 
axe,  and  broadsword  of  the  most  choice  material 
and  construction.  It  was  apparent  at  a  glance, 
that  this,  the  quarter  of  the  officers,  must  also  be 
regarded  as  the  stronghold,  the  citadel  as  it  were, 
of  the  ship.  It  might  perhaps  be  conjectured  like 
wise,  from  the  arrangements,  that  the  occupants 
of  this  magnificent  apartment  were  not  entirely 
free  from  some  touch  of  jealousy,  if  not  apprehen 
sion,  as  regarded  the  good  faith  of  their  subordi 
nates.  The  upper  bulkhead,  parting  the  captain's 
cabin  from  the  ward-room  of  his  officers,  was,  like 


20 


RINGWOOD    THE    ROVER, 


the  lower  one,  ball  proof,  and  looped  for  mus 
ketry — the  door-way,  as  before,  gave  access  to  a 
narrow  vestibule  or  passage,  arranged  in  this  case 
as  the  Rover's  private  armory,  and  communicating 
by  a  hatch  in  the  floor  with  the  ship's  magazine 
and  larger  arm-room.  From  the  ceiling  of  this 
vestibule,  which  was  not  more  than  a  yard  in 
width,  was  slung  a  lamp  of  silver  with  two  burn 
ers;  beneath  the  clear  broad  glare  of  which  a  ne 
gro,  of  gigantic  stature  and  features  singularly 
handsome  for  his  race,  stalked  to  and  fro  with 
shouldered  carbine,  and  a  whole  armory  of  knives 
and  pistols  in  the  broad  belt  that  girded  his  white 
linen  caftan  about  his  thin  and  sinewy  flanks. 
Another  African,  who  both  for  bulk  and  comeli- 
— ness,  might  well  have  been  twin-brother  to  the 
sentinel,  lay  buried  in  deep  sleep  upon  a  velvet- 
covered  pallet,  which  occupied  the  whole  space  to 
the  left  hand  of  the  door-way,  with  all  his  wea 
pons  round  him.  And  never  by  day  or  by  night 
did  those  two  grim  life-guardsmen  leave  their  ap 
pointed  post  together — and  singly,  but  at  rare  and 
distant  intervals — one  sleeping  while  the  other 
watched — one  feasting  while  the  other  fasted — 
but  both  continually  at  hand,  and  ready  on  the 
slightest  signal  to  do  their  chieftain's  bidding, 
whether  for  good  or  evil. 

On  entering  the  last  door-way,  a  scene  of  sin 
gular  beauty  was  presented  to  the  eye  of  the 
spectator.  The  cabin  was  perhaps  twenty  feet  in 
width,  by  half  that  depth,  except  that  in  the  cen 
tre,  a  recess  of  about  ten  feet  square  was  formed 
by  the  projection  of  two  state-rooms,  one  on  each 
hand,  into  the  chamber — this  alcove,  raised  one 
step  higher  than  the  cabin  floor,  was  lighted  by 
two  of  the  stern  windows  occupying  its  whole 
breadth,  and  reaching  almost  from  the  ceiling  to 
the  deck — the  other  two  lights  being  cut  off  by 
the  state-rooms  above  mentioned.  The  alcove 
was  carpeted  with  a  thick  soft  Persian  rug,  and 
hung  with  seagreen  velvet,  fringed  with  broad 
arabesques  of  gold ;  a  divan  covered  with  the 
same  stuff  ran  round  it,  while  the  centre  was  oc 
cupied  by  a  circular  table  of  dark  wood  inlaid 
with  ivory  and  brass.  Against  the  state-room 
partitions  there  hung,  on  the  one  side,  a  set  of 
shelves  filled  with  about  a  hundred  books  in  costly 
bindings ;  and  on  the  other  a  portrait  of  a  young 
girl,  seemingly  not  over  seventeen  years  old — a 
master-piece  of  the  world's  master  painter,  Anto 
nio  Vandyk — with  a  long  two-edged  gold-hilted 
broadsword,  and  a  brace  of  large  horseman's  pis- 
tols,  of  workmanship  to  match  the  rapier,  fixed  to 
the  panel  under  it,  as  if  to  guard  the  lovely  trea 
sure.  Upon  the  circular  table  there  stood  a  cru 
cifix  of  gold,  and  a  small  vase  of  the  same  pre 
cious  metal,  containing  some  choice  flowiers  of 


that  tropical  clime,  while  near  them  lay  an  open 
volume  of  Italian  poetry,  a  Spanish  gittern,  and 
some  manuscript  music,  partially  covered  by  an 
embroidered  kerchief  of  white  silk  and  gold. 
The  larger  and  lower  portion  of  the  cabin  was 
carpeted  and  decked  with  hangings  of  the  same 
color  and  material  with  those  in  the  alcove.  A 
large  square  table  filled  the  centre,  on  which  lay 
maps  and  charts,  with  books  and  instruments  of 
navigation.  An  antique  cabinet  of  oak,  with  mas 
sive  ornaments  of  brass,  a  beaufFet  covered  with 
vessels  of  wrought  gold  and  goblets  of  rock  crys 
tal,  another  book-case,  with  perhaps  two  hundred 
volumes,  and  several  huge  arm-chairs  of  oak,  with 
velvet  cushions,  completed  the  furniture.  It  must 
not,  however,  be  forgotten  that  here  as  in  the 
outer  rooms  the  walls  were  farther  decorated  by 
a  superb  collection  of  arms,  offensive  and  defen 
sive,  of  everyi  age  and  nation ;  the  most  costly 
and  most  prominent  of  which  was  a  complete^suit 
of  tilting  armor  of  blue  Milan  steel,  all  dama 
scened  with  gold,  such  as  was  worn  in  the  four 
teenth  century  by  every  knight  of  name,  and  by 
the  most  unhappy  of  the  Stuarts,  and  some  few  of 
his  leaders  even  so  late  as  the  war  of  the  English 
Revolution.  Such  was  the  form  and  fashion  of 
the  cabin  into  which,  his  long  night-watch  con 
cluded,  Ringwood  descended. 

In  the  ward-room,  as  he  passed,  his  second  offi 
cer — a  young  and  handsome  Englishman  with  a 
fair  skin,  where  it  had  not  been  bronzed  by  long 
exposure  to  a  tropical  sky,  laughing  blue  eyes, 
and  a  profusion  of  light  curly  hair — was  seated  at 
the  table,  busily  engaged,  with  several  fine  look 
ing  lads  of  various  ages,  from  fourteen  to  twenty, 
in  discussing  a  morning  meal  as  sumptuous  as  a 
ship's  store  might  furnish,  with  the  addition  of 
fresh  fish  of  several  kinds,  and  a  tureen  of  turtle  ; 
which,  though  concocted  only  by  the  untaught 
skill  of  the  bright -skinned  and  clear  mulatto,  who 
waited  by  the  beaufFet,  resplendent  in  cap,  hose, 
and  jerkin,  of  unsullied  whiteness,  was  even  thus 
no  despicable  fare ;  as  was  attested  by  the  fre 
quent  applications  to  its  dispenser,  who  seemed  to 
be  in  no  small  danger,  while  ministering  to  the 
appetites  of  others,  of  losing  his  own  breakfast. 
At  a  smaller  board,  and  a  little  way  apart,  the 
armorer  and  gunner,  two  thick-set  sturdy-looking 
Britons  of  the  Saxon  race,  contemning  the  effemi 
nate  luxuries  of  potted  game,  broiled  fish,  and 
turtle-soup,  diluted  by  champagne  and  bordeaux, 
were  reveling  in  what  they  deemed  the  manlier 
enjoyment  of  toasted  cheese,  black  puddings  and 
fat  ale.  With  a  gay  smile  and  some  light  jest, 
the  Rover  declined  the  invitation  of  his  officers  to 
join  them  at  their  festive  board ;  and  bowing  with 
an  air  of  easy  dignity  passed  onward,  showing  no 


A    TALE    OF    FLORIDA. 


21 


haste  or  agitation  in  his  measured  tread,  and 
closing  the  door  gently  after  him,  as  he  entered 
the  small  vestibule  which  led  to  his  own  cabin. 

"  You  might  as  well  have  spared  yourself  the 
trouble  of  that  invitation,  good  master  Falconer  ;" 
said  one  of  the  juniors,  who  filled  the  place  of 
midshipmen  in  a  more  regular  service — "  a  likely 
thing  it  were  that  he  should  tarry  here,  for  such 
a  poor  temptation  as  meat  and  drink  may  offer, 
with  such  a  feast  of  charms  wooing  him  yonder. 
By  St.  George,  well  might  the  loveliness  of  that 
pale,  black-browed  beauty  overcome  the  virtue  of 
an  anchorite  !" 

"  Hold  hard,  there,  Anson" — cried  another — 
<;  covet  not  thou,  that  which  is  sacred  to  thy  bet 
ters." 

"  Tush,  man — tush  !"  answered  the  first  speak 
er,  "I  covet  her  not,  by  St.  George  ;  I  love  not 
your  delicate,  coy  damsels — better  one  Ariadne 
fresh  from  the  arms  of  the  blithe  wine  god,  than 
twenty  tearful  Niobes.  We  shall  have,  by-and- 
by,  a  goodly  chorus  of  shrieks,  yells,  and  lamenta 
tions,  I  doubt  not,  to  tell  us  how  he  prospers  in 
his  wooings." 

But  though  a  general  burst  of  merriment  hailed 
this  prophetic  speech,  and  although  every  ear  was 
for  a  time  on  the  alert  to  catch  some  indication  of 
the  progress  of  events  between  the  Rover  and  his 
lovely  captive,  not  a  sound  reached  them,  that 
afforded  any  clue  to  their  excited  curiosity. 

Closing  the  door,  as  has  been  said,  gently  be 
hind  him  as  he  left  the  wardroom,  the  Rover 
turned  the  key,  and  dropped  a  massive  bar  farther 
to  guard  against  intruders. 

"  Let  none  disturb  me,  Pluto,"  he  said  to  the 
sentinel,  "  on  any  pretext  whatever — I  am  o'er- 
done  with  watching,  and  shall  betake  me  to  my 
cot  till  noon.  And  hark  thee,  sirrah  ;  whatever 
thou  mayst  hear  within,  HEAR  IT  NOT,  if  thou 
wouldst  have  ears  afterward,  to  hear  withal ! 
Hear  nothing  thou,  unless  I  call  on  thee — nor  thy 
twin  devil  yonder  either  !" 

The  sable  functionary  grinned,  till  he  showed 
his  ivory  teeth  almost  from  ear  to  ear,  as  Ring- 
wood  tutored  him  ;  and,  when  he  had  done  speak 
ing,  laid  his  broad  hand  upon  his  chest,  and  bowed 
in  silent  acquiescence  to  his  master's  will. 

Satisfied,  apparently,  that  his  attendants  com 
prehended  and  would  implicitly  obey  his  bidding, 
the  captain  paused  no  longer,  but  entered  his 
apartment  without  farther  waste  of  words,  with 
every  sinew  of  his  body  strung,  and  every  energy 
of  his  strong  mind  resolved  upon  his  savage 
purpose.  No  clothing  had  been  given  to  the 
hapless  prisoners,  beyond  the  miserable  relics  of 
their  torn  garments  which  had  been  spared  in  the 
first  moments  of  their  capture ;  nor  indeed,  save 

2 


for  the  wants  of  delicacy,  was  any  more  required ; 
for  the  weather  was  extremely  hot  and  sultry, 
and  the  air  of  the  small  cabin,  though  all  the  win 
dows  were  thrown  open  to  catch  the  favoring 
breeze,  was  confined  and  oppressive.  Little, 
therefore,  had  it  been  in  the  power  of  those 
wretched  girls  to  do  in  aid  of  their  offended  mo 
desty — little,  however,  as  it  was;  all,  that  the 
utmost  delicacy  with  their  small  means  could 
have  effected,  was  performed.  Teresa's  hair  had 
been  replaced,  folded  in  massive  wreaths  about 
her  classic  temples,  decently  ordered,  but  devoid 
of  the  most  simple  ornament.  Her  single  robe, 
of  thin  and  half  transparent  linen,  had  been  ar 
ranged  ;  and  the  huge  rent,  which  had  displayed 
all  the  voluptuous  charms  of  her  young  bosom 
and  round  ivory  shoulders,,  repaired  by  such  de 
vices  as  woman  can  alone  contrive ;  so  that  the 
beauties  of  her  unrivaled  form,  though  not  con 
cealed — for  how  could  one  light  fold  of  cambric 
conceal  the  swelling  outlines,  the  luxuriant 
roundness,  the  unmatched  symmetry  of  that  shape, 
delicately  full,  yet  slight  withal  and  sylphlike  ? — 
were  veiled  at  least  fiom  the  too  bold  intrusion  of 
an  unchaste  eye.  The  stains,  however,  were  still 
there — the  frightful  stains  of  recent  massacre — 
the  plain  print  of  ensanguined  fingers  upon  the 
sullied  surface  of  that  virgin  robe — and  her  small 
feet  and  slender  ankles,  which  might  riot  be  con 
cealed  beneath  her  scanty  draperies,  were  still 
encrusted  thickly  with  the  unnatural  taint  of  hu 
man  slaughter. 

With  the  dark  fringe  of  her  long  downcast 
lashes  drawn  in  distinct  relief  against  a  cheek  as 
colorless  and  cold  as  monumental  marble — with 
out  one  ray  of  hope,  one  gleam  of  intellect,  to 
lighten  up  the  dull  and  soulless  gloom  which 
brooded  over  those  glorious  features,  like  a  gray 
storm-cloud  overshadowing  a  lovely  landscape — 
her  brow,  too  much  oppressed  to  feel  the  agony 
of  its  own  inward  aching,  propped  on  one  snowy 
hand ;  while  with  tne  azure  veins  painted  in  fear 
ful  vividness  upon  its  deadly  whiteness,  the  other 
hung  down  by  her  side,  motionless,  lifeless  and 
unconscious — with  scarce  more  sense  of  sorrow 
or  of  pain  than  Niobe,  when  the  last  shaft  had 
flown  and  her  last  child  lay  dead  before  that  stony 
effigy  which  had  but  a  moment  since  writhed  with 
the  anguish  of  a  mother's  grief— silent,  and  cold, 
and  rigid,  save  when  a  quick  convulsive  shiver, 
the  only  sign  of  life  she  had  displayed  for  hours, 
ran  through  her  palsied  form,  shaking  it  for  an 
instant,  and  then  leaving  it  still  as  the  grave  and 
nearly  as  insensible — tearless,  and  mute  in  her 
exceeding  agony,  Teresa  sat  erect  in  a  huge  oaken 
chair  placed  almost  in  the  centre  of  the  cabin; 
with  the  black  girl,  her  sole  attendant,  lately  her 


22 


RINGWOOD    THE    ROVER, 


slave,  but  now  at  least  her  equal — for  in  their 
common  misery  all  past  distinctions  were  abo 
lished — crouching  on  the  rich  carpet  at  her  feet, 
and  clinging  to  the  knees  of  her,  in  whom,  so 
deep  set  was  her  half-idolatrous  veneration,  she 
could  not  but  imagine  some  power  must  still  re 
side,  some  magic  of  authority  that  must  compel 
respect  even  from  the  world's  outcast — the  proud, 
pitiless  corsair. 

Such  was  the  picture  that  met  Ringwood's  eye, . 
as  his  foot  crossed  the  threshold — a  picture  that 
might  well  have  called  up  sentiments  of  pity  from 
the  most  iron  bosom !  But  in  the  breast  of  the 
wild  Rover  pity,  which  spite  his  merciless  trade 
oft  found  a  dwelling  there,  was  for  the  time  over 
powered  ;  crushed  as  it  were,  and  silenced  by  the 
vast  flood  of  fierce  and  fiery  passsions,  which 
swept  across  his  soul,  withering  up  and  searing 
every  kind  sentiment,  as  the  hot  lava  scathes  the 
innocent  flowers,  when  he  beheld  the  child — the 
heart,  as  it  were,  the  more  than  heart — of  his  de 
tested  foe,  helpless,  and  courting,  as  it  seemed,  the 
blow  that  should  heap  tenfold  ruin  on  the  object 
of  his  undying  hatred.  The  voice  of  memory 
spoke  trumpet-tongued  within  him  —  memory, 
fresh  from  other  days  and  distant  climes  ! — memo 
ry,  busy  with  confidence  unwillingly  bestowed, 
and  brutally  requited ! — memory,  full  of  wrongs, 
and  wo?s,  and  agony,  and  degradation !  The 
voice  of  memory  spoke  within  him — spoke  with 
a  thousand  thunderous  voices,  whose  every  whis 
per  was  of  vengeance ! — vengeance,  delayed  for 
long,  long  years,  but  never  for  one  hour  forgotten ! 
— vengeance,  which  should  exceed  a  thousand  fold 
the  injury  that  woke  it ! — vengeance,  with  which 
the  universe  should  ring,  and  which  the  page  of 
history  should  hand  down,  as  unrivaled,  to  the  ap 
palled  and  shuddering  ears  of  countless  genera 
tions  !  With  such  a  prompter  at  his  heart's  core, 
how  should  he  pause  to  think  of  Ruth  or  of  for 
giveness  !  He  paused  not ! — an  exulting  smile 
curled  his  lip ! — curled  it  with  an  expression  of 
pride,  malice,  scorn,  and  triumph,  that  no  word 
but  FIENDISH  could  convey,  however  faintly,  to 
the  mind ! — his  breast  swelled  with  an  ecstasy  al 
most  convulsive ;  his  eye  positively  lightened 
with  excitement — the  terrible  excitement  of  un 
governable  passions,  o'ermastering  every  obstacle 
— fierce,  furious  excitement !  rife  with  the  con 
centrated  fire  of  every  evil,  every  unholy  impulse 
implanted  by  the  hand  of  nature  in  the  breast  of 
man,  bursting  the  bonds  of  reason,  wild,  remorse 
less,  and  untameable.  One  glance  he  cast  toward 
the  miserable  pair,  and  cheering  himself  as  if  by 
a  sudden  impulse — 

"  Without  there"— he  cried— "Ho!  without!" 
On  the  instant  the  door  was  opened,  and  the 


black  woolly  head  of  the  gigantic  negro  was 
thrust  into  the  cabin.  At  the  first  sound,  how 
ever,  of  the  Rover's  voice,  the  Spanish  lady,  whose 
senses,  overpowered  by  the  dull  torpor  of  despair, 
had  not  informed  her  of  his  entrance,  started  upon 
her  feet,  turning  her  clear  cold  gaze  full  on  the 
splendid  person  of  the  pirate  chief;  while  down 
to  her  knees  clung  the  black  maiden,  with  the 
whites  of  her  eyes  dilated  into  glassy  circles  by 
the  intensity  of  her  dismay. 

"  Take  hence  the  slave  girl — bestow  her  in  the 
hatch  beside  the  greater  arm  room ;  keep  her 
close  prisoner — but,  as  you  love  your  life,  do  her 
no  wrong — not  by  a  word,  or  look,  if  you  would 
scape  my  vengeance  ! — gently — away  with  her  !" 

A  fearful  spasm  crossed  the  pale  features  of 
Teresa,  as  the  huge  black  drew  nigh;  and  it 
seemed  as  though  her  terrors  would  have  found 
vent  in  a  piercing  scream,  but  by  a  mighty  effort 
she  restrained  herself. 

"  Let  go  my  robe,  Cassandra,"  she  said  at 
length  in  tones  which,  though  they  faltered,  no 
terrors  could  deprive  of  their  almost  unearthly 
sweetness — "  Let  go  my  robe,  girl — seest  thou 
not  that  no  present  harm  is  meant  thee  ? — and  if 
there  were  it  would  boot  naught  to  struggle  ? 
Let  go — I  say!  minion,  unloose  thy  grasp" — she 
cried  with  increased  agitation,  as  the  pirate's  min 
ister  drew  nearer — "  wouldst  have  thy  mistress' 
person  polluted  by  the  touch  of  yon  foul  villain  ? 
— nay !  tremble  not,  thou  silly  one" — she  added 
kindly,  as  the  terrified  creature,  relaxing  the  firm 
clasp  which  she  had  fastened  on  her  lady's  dress, 
fell  prostrate  and  almost  insensible  before  her 
feet — "  they  can  but  kill  us — the  longest  torments 
— the  direst  cruelties — can  only  lead  to  that — can 
only  inflict  DEATH  !" 

As  she  spoke,  gaining  courage  herself  from  the 
effort  she  made  to  cheer  her  fellow-sufferer's 
spirits,  Pluto  had  raised  the  half-inanimate  and 
shuddering  girl  in  his  strong  arms,  and  was  al 
ready  bearing  her  toward  the  vestibule ;  when 
by  a  sudden  jerk  she  almost  extricated  herself 
from  his  embrace,  and  followed  up  the  first  attempt 
by  a  succession  of  fierce  rapid  struggles  and  con 
tortions,  panting  and  sobbing  till  it  seemed  that 
her  heart  would  have  burst  from  her  bosom, 
glaring  with  her  disturbed  eyes,  and  foaming  at 
the  mouth  like  a  demoniac — till  finding  all  her 
efforts  fruitless,  exhausted  even  more  by  the  vio 
lence  of  her  feelings,  than  by  her  terrible  though 
vain  exertions,  she  sunk  into  a  deep  swoon ;  and 
with  her  head  hanging  upon  the  massive  shoulder  of 
the  negro,  and  all  her  shapely  limbs  collapsed  and 
nerveless,  was  carried  off  insensible  and  unre 
sisting.  Alone  in  that  luxurious  cabin,  surrounded 
with  all  that  is  most  beautiful  to  the  eye,  alone 


A    TALE    OF    FLORIDA. 


23 


the  Spanish  maiden  stood  in  the  presence — in  the 
power  of  the  merciless  Rover.  Both  young — 
both  beautiful — but  oh!  how  different  in  their 
beauty !  She,  pale  and  wo-begone,  and  cold  as 
the  white  marble  which  alone  could  vie  with  the 
pure  splendor  of  her  skin — hopeless,  yet  firm — 
wretched,  yet  tearless  in  her  misery  !  He,  flushed 
with  fiery  passions,  burning  with  high  hot  hopes, 
instinct  with  all  the  ardent  energies,  the  quench 
less  vigor,  the  indomitable  power  of  animal  exist 
ence  !  She,  th  every  image  and  ideal  of  perfect 
and  most  lovely  death !  He,  the  unequaled  type 
of  glorious  and  majestic  life  !  With  a  slow  step, 
as  if  half  doubtful  of  his  purpose,  the  Rover  neared 
his  captive — still  she  stood  firm  and  motionless, 
with  her  large  bright  eyes  shining  out,  intensely 
black  and  lustrous,  from  her  fixed  and  hueless 
features — fixed  upon  his  with  a  cold,  steady  and 
unblenching  gaze,  like  that  by  which  the  leech  is 
said  to  awe  his  maniac  patient,  or  man,  the  mo 
narch  of  creation,  to  quell  the  fiercest  savage  of 
the  wild.  It  seemed  as  if  that  frail  and  slender 
girl  had  listened  and  believed  the  tale,  '  that  a 
lion  will  turn  and  flee  from  a  maid  in  the  pride  of 
her  purity,'  and  had  resolved  to  try  the  virtue  of 
the  spell,  but  on  a  fiercer  and  more  tameless 
being.  And  in  good  truth  for  a  second's  space  it 
showed  as  though  the  charm  were  not  all  power 
less — the  haughty  spirit  did — did  for  a  moment 
quail  before  that  firm  and  fearless  gaze ! — the 
strong  brave  man  did  hesitate,  before  the  timo 
rous  weak  maiden !  There  is  in  truth  nothing  so 
difficult  as  to  approach,  with  hostile  purpose,  one 
who  opposes  calm  and  passive  fortitude  to  threat 
ened  violence — one  who  shows  nought  of  fear, 
meditates  nothing  of  resistance — who  neither 
courts  nor  shuns  the  peril.  Man  will  hew  down 
the  trembling  fugitive,  from  the  same  natural  im 
pulse  which  prompts  the  dog  to  tear  whatever 
flies  from  him — he  will  assault  with  all  the  pride 
of  defied  valor  and  insulted  strength  the  strong 
one  who  resists  him — but  he  will  rarely — rarely 
nerve  himself  to  the  attack  of  one  who  fears  not 
nor  defies  the  outrage.  At  length,  with  a  half 
start — a  start  at  his  own  unwonted  hesitation — he 
advanced,  and  laid  his  hand  upon  her  shoulder, 
while  she  still,  moving  not,  nor  speaking,  main 
tained  that  steadfast  gaze,  as  if  she  would  peruse 
his  soul ;  nor  did  the  slightest  change  in  her  de 
portment  give  any  token  that  she  had  felt  his  law 
less  touch,  save  that  a  bright  flush  darted  over 
brow,  face  and  bosom,  brilliant  as  the  electric 
flash,  and  scarce  less  rapid  in  its  passage. 

"  This  is  well,  fair  one,"  he  said  with  a  strange 
sneer,  curling  his  chiseled  lip — "this  is  well.  I 
had  looked  for  tears  and  outcries ! — but  you  are 
wise,  my  beauty;  wiser  in  your  generation,  as 


the  scripture  hath  it,  than  the  children  of  light ! — 
but  why  so  mute,  Teresa? — speak,  girl,  know 
you  the  fortune  that  awaits  you,"  and  he  shook 
her  gently  as  he  spoke,  as  if  to  force  an  answer. 

"The  lamb  in  the  wolf's  lair,"  replied  the 
maiden,  "requires  no  prophet  to  foretell  her 
doom." 

"  You  know  it,  then  ? — 'fore  God  I  had  not  looked 
for  such  most  sweet  compliance ! — you  know  it, 
then,  and  deem  it  perchance  a  rare  fortune.  I 
knew  ere  while  you  Spanish  dames  were  game 
some,  and  something  light  of  love ;  but  I  deemed 
not — the  more  fool  I  to  fancy  woman  could  be  at 
all,  and  not  be  wanton — but  I  deemed  not  a  Span 
ish  damsel  of  thy  blood  and  lineage  should  know 
herself,  and  knowing  rest  content  to  be  the  para 
mour  of  a  robber — murtherer — pirate  !" 

"  Nor  do  you  know  it  now,"  replied  she,  by  a 
violent  effort  maintaining  that  composure  which 
she  deemed  the  most  likely  to  procure  forbear 
ance — "nor  do  you  know  it  now — ten  thousand 
deaths  ^vould  I  die  sooner — nor  will  I  be  the  thing 
thou  sayest !" 

"  How  wilt  thou  help  it,  sweet  one  ?"  he  asked 
sneeringly. 

"  By  not  consenting — and  by  dying  ! — force  me 
you  may  to  your  vile  will  by  brutal  and  unmanly 
violence — bow  me  you  may,  for  the  brief  space 
that  is  permitted  you,  to  your  dire  passions — but 
wrong  is  not  dishonor,  nor  outrage  disgrace  !  But 
for  a  little  time — a  little  time  can  you  torment 
me — the  Lord  hath  given  you  the  power,  and  you 
must  use  it  as  you  list — but  only  for  a  time." 

"Believe  it  not,"  he  answered;  not  unimpressed 
by  the  cool  majesty  of  her  demeanor — "  Believe 
it  not,  my  power  upon  you  is  forever — forever 
at  least  here  on  earth !  That  which  I  make  thee, 
wilt  thou  remain  till  death  deliver  thee — hearest 
thou,  girl  ?  I  say,  till  death !" 

"  And  I  reply,  not  long  !" 

"To  die,  thou  wouldst  say,  ay!  to  die  by  the 
sudden  sword-stroke  is  not  difficult,  nor  long,  nor 
painful,  worth  the  counting !  Nor  is  the  poison 
cup,  though  slower  and  more  torturing,  too  tedi 
ous  or  too  difficult  for  high  and  resolved  spirits— 
and  such  I  do  believe  is  thine,  Teresa.  Nor  in 
good  truth,  as  thou  didst  say  but  now,  are  the 
most  cruel,  most  protracted  means  by  which  the 
flesh  can  be  compelled  to  quiver  through  a  living 
death — too  much  to  be  endured — to  be  endured  so 
long  as  they  may  last.  But  mark  me,  mark  me, 
maiden ;  to  die  is  not  so  easy !  an  eye  shall  be  on 
you  forever — no  means  vouchsafed  while  thy  fit 
lasts — and  trust  me  use  will  reconcile  thee  to  that 
life,  which  thou  deemest  it  no  dishonor  to  enter 
on  compulsion — to  die  is  not  so  easy !" 

"  Nothing  is  more  so,"  she  replied,  forcing  her- 


24 


RINGWOOD    THE    ROVER, 


self  to  go  through  the  task  she  had  imposed  upon 
her  energies.  "  Nothing  is  more  so.  The  strong 
est  frame  may  not  endure  a  fortnight  without  sus 
tenance — and  neither  thou,  with  all  thy  boasted 
might,  nor  all  thy  mailed  myrmidons,  can  force 
one  feeble  girl  to  swallow  one  small  mouthful, 
save  at  her  own  good  pleasure !" 

"  Brave  words !"  he  answered,  still  with  a  sneer 
— "Brave  words,  Teresa!  but  behold!  here  on 
the  walls  around  you  hang  fifty  sheathless  poniards, 
fifty  well-loaded  pistols ! — had  the  one  feeble  girl 
been  so  resolved  on  death,  she  might  have  died 
these  three  hours  gone,  and  none  the  wiser ! 
Tush,  girl,  thou  cheatest  me  not  so  !" 

"Hear  me,"  she  said,  with  an  imploring  ges 
ture,  drawing  herself  a  little  back  from  him — 
"  Hear  me  at  least,  as  thou  dost  hope  for  mercy — 
as  thou  dost  trust  in  God !" 

"  I  do  not  hope  for  mercy — I  do  not  trust  in 
God!"  he  answered,  "Why  should  I?  Mercy 
was  not  for  .me  or  mine,  when  I  implored  it  on 
rny  knees  with  adjurations,  unto  which  thy  feeble 
prayers  are  but  as  whispers  to  the  sovereign  thun 
der  !  God  heard  not  me  when  I  called  on  him  at 
my  most  extreme  need.  Why  should  I,  girl — 
why  should  I  ?  I  do  not  hope  for  mercy — I  do 
not  trust  in  God,  yet  will  I  hear  thee — hear  thee, 
for  that  thou  art  a  woman  !" 

"  Hear  me  then,  and  believe  my  words — nor 
think  that  I  feel  not,  because  I  shudder  not — that 
I  dread  not,  loathe  not  the  infamy,  because  I  make 
my  loathings  subject  to  my  will,  and  speak  of 
that  most  coolly  which  I  will  not  endure  and  live. 
When  first  I  entered  here,  the  thought  did  cross 
my  soul  that  freedom  was  at  hand — the  blade  was 
bared  to  win  it — but  suicide  is  deadly  sin — or  if 
not  deadly,  allowable  but  in  extremity.  There 
was  a  hope !  one  lingering,  last  hope  then — nor 
hath  it  quite  flown  now  I — a  hope  that  one  so 
strong,  so  mighty,  and  so  brave  as  thou,  wouldst 
shame  to  harm  a  woman ! — a  woman  whom  all 
men  are  bound  to  shelter  and  defend  for  that  same 
weakness  which  makes  it  easy — makes  it  most 
base  and  sordid  to  assail  their  frailty.  Till  this 
one  hope  is  gone — I  dare  not  rush  unbidden  on 
eternity.  I  have  thought  much — thought  coolly 
on  this  matter  ! — the  more,  and  the  more  coolly  I 
have  thought,  the  more  I  am  resolved,  and  the 
more  certain  mayest  thou  be  that  my  resolve  is 
changeless.  Injure  me,  and  I  die !  For  some 
brief  days  thou  mayest — thou  mayest  riot,  if  such 
be  thy  savage  will,  in  the  possession,  the  unmanly 
forceful  brute  possession  of  frail  resisting  inno 
cence — for  some  brief  days  of  agony  to  me — of 
infamy  to  thee  and  of  remorse  hereafter  !  With 
those  brief  days — thanks  to  the  mighty  Maker, 
who  made  the  subtle  and  immortal  soul  so  sepa 


rable  from  the  gross  mortal  body ! — with  those 
brief  days  thy  power  for  good  or  ill — and  mine 
for  agonized  endurance,  are  at  an  end  forever ! 
Cries,  tears,  and  lamentations  I  know  vain — there 
fore  I  use  them  not ! — but  deem  not  thou  shalt 
win  one  favor  of  my  weakness,  till  that  byutmoSt 
force  and  violence  you  have  overpowered  my 
most  true  resistance !" 

"One  word — one  whisper  from  my  lips — and 
thou  wouldst  fly  as  eagerly  to  my  embrace, 
Teresa,  as  now  thou  shunnest  it,"  he  again  an 
swered,  with  the  same  sneer  upon  his  lip — and 
she  observed  that  his  voice  sounded  calmly,  and 
no  longer  with  the  hoarse  broken  intonations  of 
overwhelming  passion ;  and  that  the  flush  which 
had  lit  up  his  features,  with  a  light  so  unnatural  and 
appalling,  had  given  place  to  the  wonted  tints  of 
his  complexion. 

"  Not  though  that  word  wrould  raise  me  into  pa 
radise — that  whisper  plunge  thee  to  the  abyss  of 
hell !" 

"  What  if  I  were  to  yield  thee  to  the  license  of 
my  crew — to  the  lewd  pleasure  of  yon  loathsome 
blackamoor !" 

"  'T  is  sin — vice — degradation — that  is  loath 
some  !  nought  else — nought  else.  Compelled  to 
my  dishonor,  I  may  wTrithe  hopelessly  in  anguish 
— I  may  die  here  on  earth,  and  dying  live  forever 
in  light,  and  bliss,  and  glory  everlasting  !  Com 
plying  I  should  loathe  my  very  self — should  die 
each  day  I  lived !  and  perish,  body  and  soul — 
perish  now,  and  forever  !  But  thou  ^vilt  not — 
thou  canst  not — thou  art  a  man — a  feeling,  fiery, 
passionate,  and  it  may  be  a  vicious — yet  a  MAN  ! 
Born  of  a  woman,  cradled  upon  a  woman's  bo 
som,  nursed  from  a  woman's  breast!  thou  hast 
grown  fair,  and  strong,  and  noble,  reared  by  the 
ministerings  of  a  woman's  love  !  thou  didst  learn 
from  a  woman's  tongue  the  very  accents  which 
give  voice  to  thy  fell  threatenings  against  a  wo 
man's  peace  !  thou  hast — thou  must  have  loved, 
have  sighed  for,  striven  for,  done  gallant  deeds  to 
win,  a  woman!  and  wilt  thou — wilt  thou  now? 
wilt  thou?  no!  no!  thou  wilt  not — canst  not 
wrong  one  so  weak  in  her  frailty — so  strong  in 
her  virtue — in  her  resolve  as  I !  no !  no !  thine 
eye  is  mild,  and  thy  lip  quivers — and — and — and 
— thou  wilt — wilt  spare,  protect — oh  God!  oh 
God — thou  wilt  not  wrong  me,"  and  as  she  spoke, 
she  flung  herself  down  at  his  feet ;  clasped  his 
knees  tight,  tight  as  the  serpent's  coil,  with  her 
entwining  arms ;  and  turning  up  her  pale  wan  face, 
with  those  dark  glorious  eyes  swimming,  yet 
overflowing  not  in  outworn  nature's  agony,  toward 
the  stern,  observant,  but  no  longer  fierce  or  in 
flamed  visage  of  the  Rover — "  thou  wilt  not — for 
thy  mother's  soul!  for  the  sweet  memory  of 


A    TALE    OF    FLORIDA. 


25 


her  whom  you  first  loved !  thou  wilt  not  wrong 
me!" 

"Not  now!  not  now  at  least,  Teresa!  But  I 
have  heard  thee — hear  thou  now  me.  I  have  a 
tale  to  tell  thee — of  one  as  innocent — as  beautiful 
as  thou,  who  prayed,  as  thou  hast  prayed,  for  pity 
— who  found  it  not,  and  died !  This  thou  must 
hear — and  then  thyself  shalt  say,  if  it  can  be  that 
I — I,  the  Rover — the  world's  scorn  and  hate  and 
terror — I,  Reginald  Ringwood,  can  pity,  much 
more  spare  Teresa  de  Aviles." 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE    ROVER'S    TALE. 

'  •  I  was  born  of  an  ancient  family  in  the  north 
of  England — of  blood  as  pure  and  noble,  as  flows 
in  the  proudest  veins  of  your  Spain's  proudest  no 
bles.  My  Saxon  forefathers  possessed  the  broad 
demesne,  beneath  whose  old  oaks  I  grew  up — as 
firm  as  they  of  heart,  and  scarce  less  strong  of 
limb — centuries  ere  the  Norman  had  drenched  our 
isle  in  gore.  I  know  not,  and  I  care  not,  how — 
though  they  battled  to  the  last  for  freedom — they 
held  their  landships  and  lordships  until,  by  time 
and  intermarriage,  the  names  of  Saxon  and  Nor 
man  were  forgotten;  and  from  the  mixture  of 
those  hostile  bloods  arose  the  strongest,  bravest, 
wisest  race  of  men  that  tread  the  surface  of  God's 
earth.  I  know  not,  I  care  not !  I  only  know, 
that  to  me  those  broad  lands  descended  through  a 
long  race  of  honored  ancestors.  I  only  care  that 
I  was  born,  and  bred,  and  shall  not  die — an  Eng 
lish  gentleman. 

"  I  had  a  father,  noble,  and  generous,  and  good 
— a.  mother — who  was  indeed  a  mother,  and  who 
is  a  saint  in  heaven  ! — a  sister  ! — oh !  such — such 
a  sister — ay  !  thou  art  fair,  Teresa — wondrously, 
exquisitely  beautiful — but  she  was  as  far  before 
thee,  as  is  the  glorious  sun  before  a  farthing  rush 
light  !  She  was — but  I  can  not — can  not  describe 
her.  No  !  not  to  my  own  void  and  aching  heart, 
that  never  hath  been  filled  since — never  even  for 
a  moment !  She  was  the  comrade  of  my  childish 
joys,  the  soother  of  my  boyish  griefs — the  dear 
repository  of  my  every  hope  or  fear — the  bright 
encourager  to  all  things  high  and  noble — the  true 
unflinching  friend — the  only  one  !  A  few  years 
younger  than  myself  she  grew  up  to  bright,  glo 
rious  womanhood  under  the  kindred  shelter  of  my 
stronger  youth — she  was  my  all  in  all — oh  God ! 
how  I  adored  her. 

"  But  I  must  on — while  I  was  yet  almost  a  boy, 
the  secret  heart-burnings,  the  disafFections  and 
dissentions,  which  had  so  long  been  smouldering 
darkly  between  the  king  and  parliament,  blazed 


out  into  rebellion  and  fierce  civil  war.  Both  par 
ties  flew  to  arms — the  nobles  and  the  gentry  of 
the  land,  with  many  of  their  yeomanry  and  te 
nants,  drew  their  swords  for  the  king ; — the  citi 
zens  and  burghers,  and  not  a  few  of  the  smaller 
landholders,  espoused  the  cause  of  parliament. 

"  Throughout  the  north  the  gentry,  many  of 
whom  were  Catholics,  were  loyal  to  a  man — and 
with  the  Vavasours  and  Musgraves,  the  Landales 
and  the  Wentworths,  my  father  buckled  on  his 
arms  to  fight  beneath  the  standard  of  his  king — 
and  well  he  fought  for  it,  from  its  first  ominous 
erection  at  Worcester  amid*  storm  and  tempest, 
till  it  fell  never  more  to  rise  upon  the  fatal  moor 
of  Marston;  where  he  too  fell  beside  it,  undaunt 
edly  but  vainly  striving  against  the  iron-clad  in- 
vincibles  of  Cromwell !  Boy  as  I  was,  through 
all  those  bloody  fields,  I  fought  beside  my  father's 
bridle.  Boy  as  I  was,  at  Brentford  I  was  thank 
ed  by  Charles  himself  before  the  leaders  of  the 
army — boy  as  I  was,  when  my  bold  father  perish 
ed  in  his  stirrups,  I  slew  the  man  who  smote  him 
down,  and  drew  off  his  retreating  troop,  sorely 
diminished  but  unbroken.  It  is  a  long  tale,  but 
suffice  it,  that  Lilburn  a  few  days  afterward  storm 
ed,  sacked,  and  utterly  destroyed  the  dwelling  of 
my  fathers — that,  overdone  with  weariness  and 
wo  and  watching,  my  mother  wasted  away,  like 
snow  before  the  April  sunshine,  and  died  at  length 
of  that  worst  malady  a  pined  and  broken  heart. 
Then,  our  lands  became  the  heritage  of  others — 
apportioned  by  the  victor  Independents  to  the  least 
scrupulous,  and  bravest  of  their  creatures ; — then 
was  our  very  name — a  name  coeval  in  proud  fame 
with  England's  story — proscribed,  and  outlawed. 
As  best  I  might,  I  cared  for  my  loved  sister's 
safety.  In  the  mean  dwelling  of  an  ancient  ser 
vant  of  our  race,  a  humble  fisherman  upon  the 
western  coast,  in  lowly  guise  and  under  a  feigned 
name,  for  years  she  was  concealed  in  safety — 
while  I,  rash,  desperate  and  daring,  fought  fet 
lock-deep  in  blood  wherever  banner  waved,  or 
trump  was  blown  in  England — now  in  the  ranks 
of  some  united  host,  and  under  some  renowned 
and  regular  leader — now  leading  my  own  little 
troop  of  undismayed  adventurers  through  the  wild 
pleasures  and  yet  wilder  strifes  of  that  guerilla 
warfare — the  fiercest  and  most  feared  of  the  king's 
partisan  commanders.  Enough  is  told,  when  I 
have  said  that  not  a  single  plot  was  planned,  a 
single  insurrection  fostered,  but  my  head  was  busy 
with  its  machinations.  That  I  fought  on  with 
Lucas,  Lisle  and  Goring,  till  every  hope  was  lost 
— that  in  the  siege  of  that  loyal  city  Colchester,  I 

j  shed  my  blood  in  its  defence  till  all  was  over ; 
and  owed  my  safety  then  to  wounds  which  fetter- 

i  ed  me  to  my  sick  bed,  and  to  the  unbribed  faith 


26 


RINGWOOD    THE    ROVER, 


of  a  poor  laundress,  who  concealed  me  from  the 
hand  of  my  inveterate  pursuers.  After  long 
months  of  suffering;,  and  of  precarious  hiding,  I 
reached  at  length  the  cottage,  where,  without  now 
one  hope  of  seeing  me  again  on  earth,  my  sister 
lingered  on  in  sad  but  patient  sorrow ;  looking  for 
death  alone  to  liberate  her  from  the  woes  which 
weighed  her  down  to  the  brink,  as  it  were,  of  that 
wished-for  grave,  which,  seeming  to  yawn  ever  to 
receive  her,  opened  not  to  her  prayers.  Alas ! — 
alas ! — that  it  did  not !  Alas  !  that  she  died  not 
then,  with  the  young  freshness  of  her  innocent 
beauty  pure  as  an  angel's  sigh — spotless  as  God's 
own  sunshine !  But  words  are  vain — sorrow  is 
vain — all !  all  is  vain,  save  vengeance  ! 

"  It  was  deep  night  when  I  arrived  at  that  lone 
cottage — and  oh!  the  ecstasy,  the  thrilling  ec 
stasy,  that  quivered  through  each  nerve  of  my 
rapt  frame  as  once  again  I  clasped  that  angel  sister 
to  my  heart — never  again,  as  fondly  I  believed 
and  falsely,  to  be  torn  thence,  while  both  had  be 
ing  !  Little  time  was  there  then  for  joy  or  sweet 
affection — little  enough  for  needful  preparation, 
and  swift  flight !  The  moon  had  risen  before  I 
reached  the  cottage — before  she  set,  the  lugger 
was  afloat;  manned  by  stout  hands  and  trusty 
hearts ;  her  every  sail  distended  by  an  auspicious 
breeze ;  bearing  us,  bearing  us  forever,  from  na 
ture's  sweetest  names^our  home,  our  country ! 
Long  centuries  before,  my  father's  race  had  inter 
married  with  a  high  family  of  Spain — and,  al 
though  time  had  loosened  the  essential  tie  of 
blood,  friendly  connection  had  been  maintained 
ever;  and  still,  in  name  and  courtesy  at  least  if 
not  in  very  deed,  the  haughty  family  of  English 
Ringwoods  were  cousins  to  the  proud  Spanish  clan, 
whose  head  is — the  Melendez  de  Aviles  ! 

"  Start  not,  Teresa !  By  the  God  who  looks 
upon  us  now — who  looked  of  yore  on  that  most 
hellish  crime — who  shall  anon  look  on  that  crime's 
meet  retribution.  By  the  God — I  say — the  God 
of  both  our  fathers !  the  blood  of  thy  race  runs 
even  now,  not  as  the  lava  of  Vesuvius,  through 
every  artery  and  vein  of  this  my  body !  my  body 
that  has  lived  through  agonies  and  toils  and  perils, 
which  might  have  consumed  nerves  of  brass  and 
thewes  of  tempered  steel,  which  would  have  worn 
out  mine,  but  for  the  treasured  oath  of  vengeance 
that  upheld  me ! 

"  But  passion  boots  not.  What  is  done,  is  done ! 
—what  shall  be,  shall  be !  Friendly  connection 
had,  I  said,  been  maintained  ever !  Letters  had 
passed  from  age  to  age,  presents  been  interchang 
ed,  and  mutual  benefits  done  and  requited.  When 
our  Black  Prince  displayed  his  Lion  banner  in  aid 
of  your  King  Pedro,  my  ancestor  was  rescued 
from  the  wrath  of  that  brave  bastard,  Henry  de 


Transtamara,  by  the  Melendez  of  that  day.  When 
Spain's  armada  was  dispersed,  scattered  to  the 
four  winds  of  heaven,  by  Frobisher  and  Drake 
and  Haskins,  it  was  a  Ringwood  that  redeemed 
the  chieftain  of  the  Des  Aviles ;  and  sent  him 
home  cumbered  with  gifts  and  ransom,  free  from 
the  dark  tower  of  London.  Allied  in  blood,  allied 
by  mutual  courtesies,  my  father — when  first  war 
broke  out — remitted  treasures,  plate,  gold,  and 
store  of  jewels,  to  the  faith  of  his  Spanish  kins 
man.  Provident  and  prepared  for  either  fortune, 
he  looked  to  Spain  as  an  asylum,  should  the  king's 
cause  be  bucklered  by  bold  hearts  in  vain.  When 
my  good  father  fell — letters — fair  letters  full  of 
greeting — full  of  high  courtesy  and  noble  promise 
— styling  me  <  Dear  and  trusty  cousin,'  praying 
me  '  of  my  love  to  deem  'his  purse  as  mine — his 
palace  as  my  castle',  were  borne  to  me — fair  seem 
ing  !  false  !  false  letters !  signed  '  Juan  de  Melen 
dez  de  Aviles.'  Full  of  all  honorable  confidence, 
full  of  all  gratitude  and  love,  now  that  even  hope 
was  lost  in  England,  I  set  sail ;  freely  as  to  a  se 
cond  country,  for  the  bright  shores  of  Spain !  as 
to  a  second  home,  for  the  proud  halls  of  De  Aviles  ! 
Three  days'  fair  sail,  we  made  the  Spanish  coast ! 
another  week,  and  in  Madrid  we  were  received, 
received  not  as  exiles  and  outlaws,  but  as  most 
honored  friends,  most  esteemed  kinsmen,  by  that 
same  Juan  de  Melendez — that  same  vile,  heartless, 
soulless  thing,  which  thou  callest  father.  Aye  ! 
I  recall  it !  all — all — every  thing !  The  very  pa 
lace  gates,  upon  the  porphyry  steps  of  which  the 
smooth-faced  fiend  received  us — the  very  liveried 
menials,  who  cringed  so  humbly  to  our  bidding, 
the  very  smile,  the  very  gesture,  yea  more,  the 
very  garb,  with  every  small  detail  of  plume,  and 
scarf  and  jeweled  rapier,  which  he  wore — all 
gleam  upon  mine  unforgetting  eyes  distinct  and 
palpable,  as  though  they  were  depicted  to  my 
outward  sense  by  some  rare  limner's  skill.  He 
was  a  noble  gallant  to  the  eye ;  witty,  accom 
plished,  beautiful,  and  brave — nor,  as  I  fondly 
deemed,  more  fair  than  faithful.  Every  art,  every 
gentle  knowledge,  every  superb  accomplishment 
were  centered  in  his  mind,  his  manner.  To  the 
eye  nothing — nothing  of  God's  creation  here  on 
earth  could  be  more  glorious,  more  transcendantly 
surpassing  man's  estate,  more  godlike  !  In  heart, 
no  thing  on  earth,  no  thing  in  the  abyss  of  hell 
could  be  more  utterly  corrupt,  more  base,  more 
superhumanly  depraved  and  bad,  more  fiendish  ! 
Yet  years  passed,  ere  I  gained  this  knowledge, 
years  passed,  and  I  believed  him — nor  was  I  even 
then  unwise  in  this  world's  wisdom — all  that  was 
kind,  and  good,  and  noble.  What  wonder  that 
one  younger  than  myself,  artless  and  unsuspect 
ing,  judging  of  others'  faith  by  her  guileless  stand- 


A    TALE    OF    FLORIDA. 


27 


ard,  full  of  sweet  fervent  gratitude,  betrayed  into 
security  by  her  own  very  purity  of  soul,  and  by 
the  sanction  of  a  brother's  presence  should  have 
believed  as  I !  and  loved !  and — and — oh  God ! 
that  I  must  speak  it — fallen !  fallen !  the  victim 
to  a  perjury  so  hellishly  devised,  so  deep,  so  fa 
thomless,  that  wisest  wisdom  would  have  been  all 
at  fault  to  sound  it !  The  growing  love  of  my 
sweet  sister,  the  constant  and  devoted  wooing  of 
the  enamored  Juan  I  saw,  and  was  well  pleased 
to  see  it.  For — when  I  saw  the  liking  mutual ; 
when  I  knew  that  my  Teresa  in  purity  of  an  un 
stained  descent  was  a  match  meet  for  kings ;  that 
in  the  rescued  treasures  of  my  father's  house  she 
had  a  fitting  dowry ;  that  in  all  else — beauty  of 
form  and  face,  intellect,  feeling,  soul — she  would 
have  been  a  prize  for  the  choice  of  angels ;  when 
I  beheld  and  knew  all  this,  I  had  no  whisper  of 
false  pride  to  bid  me  interpose  between  their  in 
clinations  and  their  union  !  I  had  no  doubts,  no 
fears,  no  hesitations !  Juan,  too,  had  a  sister — a 
fair,  bright,  artless  being,  of  whom,  if  I  did  not 
entirely  love  her,  I  had  at  least  mused  fervently 
and  deeply.  Thoughts  of  a  double  link  had  cross 
ed  my  mind,  as  no  impossible  solution  to  the  Gor- 
dian  knot  of  our  entangled  fortunes,  not  as  a  ter 
mination  to  be  gained  by  rash  or  sudden  speed, 
but  as  an  end,  which,  other  things  agreeing,  might 
in  due  time  crown  all  our  cares  with  pure  and 
peaceful  happiness.  Thus  days,  and  months  roll 
ed  on  calm,  undisturbed,  and  happy.  At  times 
indeed  a  touch  of  wonder  would  come  over  me, 
why — when  their  mutual  feelings  were  so  evi 
dent  ;  when  my  approval  might  have  been  known 
even  from  my  silence ;  when  every  thing  was 
suitable,  and  no  cloud  even  on  the  remote  horizon 
threatened  a  storm  which  could  divide  them — 
why  they  should  so  prolong  their  courtship — so 
needlessly  delay  the  consummation  of  their  bliss. 
Still,  as  they  seemed  to  understand  each  other,  I 
deemed  it  equally  indelicate  and  unwise,  that  I 
without  the  shadow  of  a  pretext  should  interfere 
between  them.  Entirely  unsuspicious,  therefore, 
and  fearless  even  of  the  possibility  of  wrong,  I  left 
things  to  their  natural  course. 

"  Meanwhile  an  opportunity  at  length  occurred 
for  my  advancement,  my  establishment  in  a  be 
fitting  rank,  and  active  service ;  an  expedition 
was  in  course  of  preparation  under  the  prince, 
Don  John,  for  the  low  countries,  there  to  co-ope 
rate  with  the  great  Conde.  against  the  allied  force 
of  the  Cromwellians  under  Lockhart,  and  the 
French  Mazarinists  under  the  great  Turenne, 
which  had  already  reduced  Gravelines,  and  Merr- 
dyke,  and  were  now  threatening  Dunkirk.  In 
this  fair  expedition  I  was  appointed  to  take  part ; 
and  in  no  humbler  station  than  lieutenant-general 


of  the  cavalry.  This  proud  appointment  was  ob 
tained  for  me  by  the  solicitations  of  Melendez,  for 
which — Heaven's  hottest  curses  blight  him  ! — I 
deemed  him  worthy  of  my  eternal  gratitude. 
Brief  space  was  granted  for  my  preparation — yet, 
ere  I  started  on  my  honorable  duty,  I  opened  my 
heart  freely  both  to  Melendez  and  Teresa ;  and  it 
was  settled  that,  the  campaign  ended,  they  at 
least  should  be  made  man  and  wife ;  while  Juan 
plighted  me  his  word  that,  should  I  prosper  in 
my  wooing  with  his  sister,  his  every  aid  should 
be  forthcoming.  With  a  light  heart  I  started  ;  all 
careless  at  the  present,  all  confident  of  the  bright 
future.  In  a  short  time  we  reached  the  Nether 
lands,  and  there  my  every  faculty  of  mind  or 
body  was  engrossed  by  my  military  duties.  It  is 
not  now  my  purpose,  for  it  avails  tis  nothing,  to 
spin  out  long  details  concerning  that  disastrous 
and  disgraceful  campaign,  wherein  we  were  out 
witted,  out-mano2uvred,  and  out-fought.  First 
came  the  defeat  of  Sandhills,  whereat  the  Eng 
lish  standard  waved  on  both  sides,  and  victory 
was  once  again  decided  by  the  stout  fanatics  of 
the  republic  !  then  Dunkirk  instantly  surrendered ! 
then  step  by  step  were  we  beat  back,  town  after 
town  admitting  our  victorious  foes !  Enough, 
that  at  the  Sandhills  I  was  dismounted  in  the  last 
charge  of  the  superior  cavalry  of  Castelnan, 
which  broke  us  like  a  thunder  shock !  My  right 
arm  shattered  by  a  pistol  shot,  my  helmet  cloven, 
and  my  skull  laid  bare  by  a  long  broadsword-cut, 
a  pike  wound  through  the  broken  taslet  of  my 
left  thigh — twice  I  was  galloped  over  by  the  con 
tending  troopers  in  close  melee,  and  left  for  dead 
upon  the  field.  Rescued  by  the  attachment  of  a 
veteran  follower  from  the  tender  mercies  of  the 
plunderers,  I  lay  for  weeks  insensible,  and  for 
weeks  more  in  helpless  agony  till  the  campaign 
was  ended  by  a  truce ;  and  weak  of  frame,  bent 
and  bowed  by  my  half  healed  wounds,  I  slowly 
journeyed  homeward.  Something  I  was  indeed 
discouraged,  and  something  grieved,  that  during 
my  long  illness,  during  my  slow  recovery,  no 
letters  should  have  reached  me  whether  from  Juan 
or  my  sister ;  yet  even  this  might  be  explained  by 
the  distracted  state  of  the  whole  country ;  France 
torn  at  the  same  time  by  civil  strifes  and  foreign 
warfare ;  the  Netherlands  divided  into  factions, 
filled  with  fierce  bands  of  foreign  soldiery;  all 
business  at  an  end,  and  all  communications  inter 
rupted.  Consoling  myself  with  such  thoughts  as 
these,  for  the  neglect  of  my  Spanish  friends,  I 
journeyed,  with  all  speed  my  frail  health  would 
allow,  toward  Madrid.  I  reached  that  splendid 
city;  hurried  through  its  deserted  streets,  for  it 
was  midnight  when  I  arrived,  to  the  proud  dwell 
ing  of  Melendez.  The  porter  who  replied  to  my 


28 


RING  WOOD    THE    ROVER, 


loud  summons,  after  a  pause  strangely  at  vari 
ance  with  the  former  promptness  of  attendance 
which  characterized  all  my  friend's  retainers — 
knew  me  not  at  the  iirst ;  so  strangely  was  I  al 
tered  by  the  enfeebling  nature  of  my  wounds,  and 
by  the  great  exhaustion  consequent  on  my  jour 
neying  with  those  wounds  yet  unhealed — nor 
when  he  recognized  me,  did  he  seem  wholly  un 
embarrassed  by  my  appearance.  The  family,  he 
told  me — Don  Juan,  and  the  Lady  Isidore,  and 
the  English  Senora  had  removed  from  the  city 
several  months  before ;  and  were  now  dwelling 
on  a  magnificent  estate,  of  which  I  had  heard 
Melendez  speak  with  rapture,  situate  on  the  lower 
ridges  of  the  southeastern  Pyrenees.  Worn  out 
with  fatigue,  I  resolved  to  give  myself  a  single 
day's  repose ;  in  the  course  of  which  I  learned 
from  the  porter,  that  shortly  after  the  removal  of 
the  family  from  town,  tidings  had  come  that  I  had 
been  slain  at  the  Sandhills ;  and  that  no  subse 
quent  news  had  arrived  concerning  me,  so  that  on 
all  hands  I  was  believed  dead ;  to  which  he  cun 
ningly  attributed  his  consternation  at  my  unex 
pected  re-appearance ;  he  also  mentioned,  as  a 
casual  report,  that  it  had  come  to  his  ears  that  my 
sister  had  been  married  to  the  Conde  de  Aviles, 
shortly  before  the  tidings  of  my  death  in  battle. 
The  following  morning,  so  much  of  fever  had 
anxiety  and  toil  produced,  that  I  was  miserably 
ill,  and  utterly  unable  to  rise  from  my  couch, 
much  more  to  undertake  a  tedious  journey.  I 
wrote,  however,  on  the  instant,  both  to  my  sister 
and  Don  Juan ;  telling  them  all  that  had  befallen 
me,  mentioning  the  reports  which  had  encounter 
ed  me  on  my  arrival,  promising  to  make  all  due 
speed  to  join  them,  and  praying  them  to  write  me 
instantly,  as  I  was  all  anxiety  and  agitation.  Ten 
days  elapsed  before  I  was  enabled  to  rise,  and  a 
week  more,  before  I  could  endure  the  motion  of 
a  horse — yet  not  a  line  had  come  to  hand  to  lighten 
my  curiosity,  which  was  fast  growing — why  I 
knew  not — into  a  fixed  presentiment  of  evil.  At 
length  I  was  sufficiently  recovered,  and  on  a  bright 
autumnal  morning,  gallantly  mounted  and  well 
armed,  followed  by  two  stout  English  veterans,  I 
sallied  forth  from  the  portals  of  Melendez ;  hurry 
ing  with  the  speed  of  fear  toward  the  city  gates. 
Before  I  had  reached  there,  however,  I  was  sur 
rounded  and  arrested  by  a  band  of  the  holy  bro 
therhood  according  to  a  warrant  of  the  all-power 
ful  Inquisition.  Four  months  I  languished  in  its 
dungeons,  often  examined,  often  threatened  with 
the  torture,  forbidden  any  intercourse  with  those 
without — in  short  entombed  alive.  At  length, 
when  I  had  given  up  all  hope  of  liberty,  I  was 
discharged  with  no  more  of  explanation  than  I 
had  received  on  my  capture — what  of  that  ?  there 


was  no  possible  redress  !  I  had  been  denounced 
to  the  Holy  Inquisition — therefore  arrested !  The 
charge  had  not  been  made  out — therefore  I  was 
discharged !  and  well  for  me,  I  ought  to  be  con 
tent  !  yea !  thankful !  and  I  was  thankful — none 
but  the  captive  know  the  exceeding,  the  transcen- 
dant  bliss  of  freedom.  I  was  free  !  I  was  strong  ! 
for  spare  food  and  hard  lodging  had  worked  mira 
cles  for  the  restoration  of  my  health — I  would 
seek  out  my  friends — fly  to  my  sister ! 

"  I  repaired  once  more  to  the  palace  of  my 
friend — when,  to  my  mighty  wonder  and  yet 
mightier  rage,  the  porter  dashed  the  wicket  in  my 
face  with  a  horse  laugh — barred  it  within,  and 
grinning  through  its  barred  lattice  to  my  teeth,  he 
bade  me  '  go  seek  my  sister  in  the  Lazar  House — 
meet  place  for  harlotry  like  hers  !'  Words  cannot 
express  my  rage,  my  madness.  All  availed  no 
thing — madness,  rage,  entreaty  ! — no  farther  an 
swer  was  returned  to  me^— the  wicket  opened  not 
— all  was  contemptuous,  scornful  silence.  At 
length,  dreading  I  know  not  what,  I  turned  me  to 
the  Lazar  House,  and  there — there — oh  God !  there 
I  found  her ! — there  in  that  den  of  guilt  and  mise 
ry,  dying  by  inches,  worn,  and  wan,  and  wasted 
— there  on  the  sordid  pallet  vouchsafed  by  niggard 
charity,  in  the  last  agonies  of  life,  pale  as  the 
sheeted  snow,  and  shrunken  till  each  bone  of  her 
fair  frame  seemed  struggling  through  the  transpa 
rent  skin — there  found  I  my  sweet  sister.  She 
died — happy  at  least  to  die  upon  a  friendly  bosom 
— she  died  in  blessing  me,  and  praying,  from  Eter 
nal  mercy,  the  pardon  of  her  murderer.  She  died, 
but  not  till  she  had  faltered  forth  the  tale  of  her 
unprecedented  ruin !  The  sun  did  not  turn  pale 
in  heaven — the  earth  yawned  not,  nor  trembled — 
nature  held  on  its  wonted  course — God  heard  the 
tale,  as  he  had  looked  upon  the  deed— and  the  fell 
villain  prospered — prospered,  and  laughed  in  the 
exulting  pride  of  conscious  strength,  and  high  im 
punity  of  wrong !  All  from  the  very  first  had 
been  premeditated — I  was  appointed  to  command, 
merely  that  I  might  be  removed  from  the  scene 
of  destined  outrage — a  future  period  was  appointed 
for  the  marriage,  merely  to  drown  all  possible  sus 
picion.  Scarce  was  I  gone,  before  the  treachery 
stirred  into  action ;  the  first  step  was  to  find  an 
expert  forger  of  handwriting;  nor  was  this  first 
want  long  ungratified — a  villain,  triple  dyed  in 
guilt,  a  disfrocked  monk  of  Italy,  the  minister  for 
years  of  Juan's  secret  infamies,  was  pitched  upon 
for  the  foul  deed ;  and  foully  he  performed  it.  My 
letters,  regularly  intercepted  by  Melendez,  were 
laid  before  him,  one  by  one,  as  they  arrived,  till 
he  had  learned  the  trick  of  my  handwriting ;  so 
that  I  scarce  myself  could  mark  the  fraud.  This 
done,  the  work  commenced — letter  was  forged  on 


A    TALE    OF    FLORIDA. 


29 


letter,  to  that  unhappy  girl,  urging  her  to  delay 
no  longer  the  consummation  of  her  nuptials — urg 
ing  her  by  a  thousand  specious  pretexts,  and  at 
length  enjoining  it  upon  her,  as  the  last  dying  man 
date  from  a  brother's  death-bed,  to  be  united  on 
the  instant  to  Melendez.  So  specious  was  the  plot, 
that  mortal  wisdom  scarcely  could  have  fathomed 
it.  Her  letters,  like  my  own,  were  intercepted — 
answered ! — each  argument  refuted — each  doubt 
set  aside — each  apprehension  banished! — more 
over,  not  my  handwriting  only,  but  my  whole 
turn  of  composition,  my  character  of  thought,  my 
style,  had  been  so  copied,  that  as  I  read  the  living 
evidence  of  the  lie,  myself,  I  almost  deemed  them 
mine.  It  is  enough,  that  they  prevailed  ! — a  mar 
riage,  a  false  marriage,  performed  by  that  same 
villain  monk,  and  witnessed  by,  her  sex's  shame, 
the  shameless  Isidore,  completed  the  accursed 
plan.  Innocent — innocent  she  fell !  Fell,  as  an 
angel  might  have  fallen,  and  yet  remained  an  an 
gel.  Secure  of  his  poor  victim,  flushed  with  suc 
cess  and  passion,  he  carried  her  to  his  castle  in 
the  south;  and  till  satiety  had  effaced  passion,  and 
custom  worn  away  the  charms  of  novelty,  had 
treated  her  with  at  least  the  semblance  of  affec 
tion.  Soon,  soon  was  the  dream  ended  !  My  re 
turn  from  the  army  struck  the  last  blow  to  his' 
expiring  love — if  love  that  may  be  called,  which 
was  in  truth  corrupt  and  brutal  lust !  The  illness 
which  delayed  me.  deemed  an  auspicious  chance — 
with  unexampled,  aye !  unheard  brutality,  in  the 
most  public  manner,  in  the  most  coarse  revolting 
language  before  his  grinning  menials  and  syco 
phantic  guests,  he  told  that  suffering  angel  of  the 
fraud — the  fraud  wrhich  had  destroyed  her  !  jeered 
at  her  tears — yea !  bade  her  convey  her  beauties 
to  some  new  lover,  and  some  fresher  market! 
And  when  she  clasped  his  knees  in  agonies  of  tear 
less  supplication,  he  spurned  her;  spurned  her 
with  his  foot,  and  bade  his  vassals  cast  her  forth 
into  the  wintry  midnight.  Alone,  on  foot,  in  the 
light  garments  of  the  ball-room,  without  food,  or 
aid,  or  money — she  was  cast  forth  at  midnight ; 
doubtless  cast  forth  to  perish.  But  so  it  was  not 
fated  !  through  storm  and  snow  she  struggled  on ! 
barefoot !  begging  her  bread  !  She  reached  Ma 
drid,  and  fainting  in  the  street,  some  charitable 
hand  conveyed  her  to  the  wretched  dwelling, 
where  suffering,  and  wo.  and  utter  desolation, 
soon  brought  her  to  the  long  last  home ;  sole  re 
fuge  of  the  wretched.  She  died  !  Died,  I  say, 
died !  but  left  me  living ;  living  alone  for  venge 
ance.  My  tale  is  ended !  it  boots  not  to  tell  how, 
when  the  second  Charles  regained  his  father's 
throne,  he  yielded  by  base  amnesty  the  lands 
of  his  true  followers,  to  the  oppressors  who 
had  seized  them.  A  double  outlaw,  thence,  have 


I  lived  for  vengeance — and  though  thus  far  thy 
father  hath  escaped  me,  some  have  I  had  already, 
more  shall  I  have  ere  long — ay,  to  satiety  ! — 

"  Some  have  I  had  already  ! — and  that,  girl,  not 
a  little.  That  monk  I  watched  for  weeks — for 
months — (thy  father,  conscience-stricken,  had  fled 
his  country.)  For  months  had  I  watched  him.  till 
as  he  journeyed  toward  France,  through  the  wild 
passses  of  the  Pyrenees,  I  swooped  upon  him.  I 
dragged  him  to  the  loneliest  peak  of  those  dread 
summits — stripped  him  and  bound  him  to  a  thun 
der-splintered  tree — it  was  the  very  height  of 
summer — placed  food  and  water  close  before  him 
— so  close  that  he  could  see  !  so  far  that  he  could 
not  reach  it — no,  not  to  save  his  soul !  I  left  him 
there  to  perish — yet  watched  him  from  a  dis 
tance,  that  none  might  succor  or  release  him — 
that  I  might  hear  his  blasphemies,  and  mark  his 
agonies,  and  glut  my  soul's  dear  vengeance.  He 
perished — how,  you  may  guess ;  he  perished  there, 
and  knew  me  ere  he  perished. 

"  Thine  aunt — the  Lady  Isidore — married,  as 
thou  knowest  well,  Teresa,  the  Conde  di  Ribiera  ; 
and  within  three  months  after,  was  found  dead- 
pierced  by  three  mortal  wounds — in  her  own  bri 
dal  bed.  I  slew  her  !— I,  Teresa— I !— I,  Ring- 
wood  the  avenger !  scaled  the  terrace  at  midnight 

entered  her  room  and  woke  her — woke  her  to 

die !  One  shriek  rung  through  the  silent  house, 
rousing  its  every  inmate  !  I  leaped  from  the  bal 
cony,  one  moment  ere  the  chamber-doors  flew 
open.  Have  I  not  been  avenged  ? 

"  Before  your  father's  eyes,  your  brother  died 

by  the  torture  ! 

"  Before  your  father's  eyes,  Teresa,  you  shall 
be  shown  ere  long !— shown— what  he  dared  to 
call  my  sister,  and  lied  in  calling  her  !  Start  not 
—be  sure  of  it ;  for  it  shall  be  !  this  only  boon 
I  grant  thee— grant  to  thy  courage,  girl,  and  no 
bleness  of  heart !— that  not  now  will  I  wrong 
by  violence! — thou  shalt  consent  to 
degradation  !  Meanwhile,  rest  here— 
that  state-room  shall  be  thine  ;  and  the  black  girl, 
Casandra,  shall  be  restored  to  thee ;  fit  garments 
shall  be  furnished  thee ;  thou  shalt  eat  at  my  table. 
Answer  me  not,  girl ! — not  a  word — it  shall  be  so, 
I  say  it  shall ! 

"  I  must  on  deck,  somewhat  is  moving  there, 
that  needs  my  presence.  Content  thee,  and  fare 
well!" 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Broadly  and  brightly  dawned  the  morning, 
which  followed  the  departure  of  the  buccaneers, 
upon  the  forest-girdled  walls  of  St.  Augustine. 


RINGWOOD    THE    ROVER, 


The  sun  shone  blithely,  and  freshly  the  sea-breeze 
blew.  The  small  waves,  crisped  by  the  lightsome 
air,  danced  glittering  in  the  sunlight ;  while  thou 
sands  of  white  gulls  were  on  the  wing,  fanning 
the  wavelets  with  their  silver  pinions.  Jocund 
and  merry  was  the  scene ;  and  heavy  must  that 
heart  have  been,  which  yielded  not  to  the  sweet 
soothing  influences  of  the  time  and  seasons. 
Heavy  was  every  heart,  and  downcast  every  eye, 
of  those  who  were  abroad  on  that  fair  morning. 
The  bells  of  many  a  church  and  convent  were 
ringing. 

"  With  a  deep  sound  to  and  fro — 
Heavily  to  the  heart  they  go  !" 

while  on  the  four  tall  frigates,  which  now  lay 
moored  in  shore,  under  the  covering  guns  of  bat 
tery  and  bastion,  the  colors  waved  at  half-mast  in 
honor  to  the  dead,  whose  obsequies  were  even 
now  in  process. 

And  now  the  city  gates  flew  open,  and  a  long 
train  of  monks  and  friars  chanting  the  mournful 
miserere,  with  crosslet  and  with  crosier,  censor, 
and  pix,  and  crucifix,  swept  forth  from  the  wide 
portals.  Then  upborne  on  the  stalwart  shoulders 
of  four  great  Spanish  captains,  whose  plumes  and 
sword  knots  of  pure  white  betokened  the  brief 
years  of  him  they  mourned,  followed  the  coffin  of 
the  young  Melendez !  Words  cannot  paint  the 
agony  which  overshadowed  the  bold  lineaments, 
and  bowed  to  earth  the  manly  frame  of  Juan,  fol 
lowing  to  his  last  home  the  last  male  scion  of  his 
immemorial  race.  Bravely,  however,  manfully 
he  struggled  with  his  tortures,  and  subdued  them. 
Steadfastly  did  he  gaze,  with  a  fixed,  tearless  eye 
upon  the  disappearing  coffin ;  as  with  heart-sick 
ening  sound  the  dull  clods  of  unconsecrated  earth 
— for  unanointed  he  had  fallen,  unhouseled,  and 
unshriven — rattled  upon  its  hollow  lid ;  one  quick 
spasm  shook  his  every  limb — distorted  every  fea 
ture  ;  as  the  last  sod  was  flattened  down  over  that 
cherished  head,  which  now  perceived,  felt,  suffered 
nothing.  The  soldiers  gathered  round  the  grave 
— flash  after  flash — roar  after  roar — the  volleyed 
honors  of  their  musketry  burst  over  the  dull  ears, 
that  heard  them  not,  nor  heeded.  But  with  the 
rattling  din  the  high  soul  of  the  father  lightened 
forth'  from  the  cloud  of  grief,  which  had  oppressed 
it — he  drew  his  long  bright  rapier  from  its  scab 
bard,  stretched  it  forth  slowly  above  his  son's  low 
bed,  and  then  uplifting  it,  with  his  eyes  glaring 
upward,  flung  his  left  hand  abroad ;  and  with  dis 
tended  chest,  bent  brows  and  head  erect,  stood  for 
a  second's  space  motionless,  stern  and  silent, 
though  his  lips  quivered  as  with  inward  prayer, 
sublime  and  awful  in  the  might  of  self-controlling 
energy  and  pride.  Then  with  a  loud  clear  voice — 
"  Hear !" — he  exclaimed, — "  Hear  thou !  Maker 


of  all  things,  Judge  of  all  men,  hear !  I,  Juan  de 
Melendez  de  Aviles,  noble  of  Spain,  and  knight  of 
Calatrava,  swear  ! — here  on  the  grave  of  the  last 
male  of  the  proud  name  I  bear — Here,  with  my 
foot  upon  the  sod  that  covers  that  young  head — 
with  my  sword  in  my  hand,  I  swear  :  never  while 
life  is  left  me,  never  by  day  nor  by  night,  fasting 
or  feasting,  mirthful  or  in  the  hour  of  wo,  to  cease 
from  plotting,  from  pursuing,  from  revenging  ! — 
never  until  this  sword  is  crimson  to  the  hilt  with 
the  heart-blood  of  him  who  slew  thee — thee,  inno 
cent  and  helpless  that  thou  wert,  mine  own  and 
only  one.  If  ever  I  unbelt  the  brand,  if  ever  I 
withdraw  me  from  the  chase,  if  ever  I  relent,  or 
spare,  or  pardon,  till  that  the  sword,  the  faggot, 
and  the  gallows  have,  each  and  all,  been  glutted 
with  the  lives  of  thy  destroyers — if  ever,  oh !  my 
son,  I  forget  to  avenge  thee — may  my  flesh  feed 
the  vulture  and  the  wolf — my  soul  be  yielded  to 
man's  everlasting  foe!" 

He  paused,  and  as  the  sounds  of  his  last  accents 
died  away — moved  by  one  common  impulse,  a 
dozen  of  the  cavaliers  who  had  accompanied  the 
funeral  train,  and  who  bareheaded,  but  with  flash 
ing  eyes  and  inflamed  visages,  had  listened  to  the 
father's  imprecation,  unsheathed  at  once  their 
swords,  and  pointing  them  to  heaven,  chorused 
that  awful  oath  by  one  deep,  heartfelt,  and  unani 
mous  "amen!"  "For  us — for  us,  and  our  sons 
after  us,"  they  cried,  "be  thine  oath  binding! — 
never  to  spare,  nor  pardon,  nor  relent ! — never  to 
cease  from  hunting  to  destruction  the  murderers 
of  thy  dead  son — the  ravishers  of  thy  living  daugh- 
tea — never,  so  help  us  God,  St.  Jago,  and  our 
honor!" 

The  mournful  ceremonial  was  concluded;  a 
massive  cross  of  stone  was  pitched  into  the  sand 
at  that  grave's  head,  marking  the  spot  where  he 
slumbers  now  so  soundly,  that  hapless  but  high 
hearted  boy — the  spot,  where  yesterday  he  bore 
so  soldierly  and  well  the  tortures  which  had  slain 
him.  The  military  music  of  the  garrison  struck 
up — the  very  trumpeters,  inflamed  by  the  sympa 
thetic  indignation  which  blazed  forth  so  vividly 
from  these  untamed  and  fearless  cavaliers,  struck 
up,  unbidden,  that  famous  tune  of  old,  the  "War 
song  of  the  Cid" — the  soldiers  clashing  their  arms 
in  unison,  and  the  wild  cadences  of  the  shrill  brass 
piercing  each  ear  and  stirring  every  heart,  they 
marched  back  to  the  city  full  of  exulting  valor, 
parched  with  the  thirst  of  vengeance. 

A  few  hours  later  in  the  day,  a  dozen  horses 
led  to  and  fro  before  the  doors  of  a  large  building, 
with  a  considerable  crowd  of  grooms  and  servitors 
and  several  sentinels  on  duty,  betokened  some 
thing  of  more  than  ordinary  import  to  be  in  pro 
cess  of  enactment.  It  was  the  government  house, 


A    TALE    OF    FLORIDA. 


31 


before  the  gates  of  which  that  concourse  was 
assembled ;  and  in  an  upper  chamber,  the  gover 
nor,  with  his  chief  officers,  was  sitting  in  high 
council.  Melendez,  as  became  his  station  no 
more  than  his  skill  and  mature  wisdom,  presided 
at  the  board;  Pedro,  Gutierrez,  and  the  veteran 
Diego  were  seated  the  nearest  to  his  person;  the 
captains  of  the  four  caravcllas  now  at  anchor  in 
the  bay  lent  their  co-operating  aid,  and  the  bold 
youth,  Don  Amadis  Ferrajo,  though  scarce  enti 
tled  by  his  years  to  such  proud  eminence,  had 
earned,  by  the  brilliant  reputation  of  his  impetu 
ous  valor,  a  place  there  which  he  filled  with  as 
much  of  dignity  as  did  the  stateliest  veteran  of 
them  all.  At  the  lower  end  of  the  long  table 
were  placed  two  secretaries  fully  engaged  in 
minuting  the  orders  of  the  council ;  while  just  be 
low  a  sort  of  bar,  that  ran  across  the  council 
chamber,  two  Spanish  veterans,  well  armed  with 
sword  and  halbert,  watched  over  a  young  stalwart 
negro,  who  stood  between  them,  entirely  naked, 
except  a  cloth  about  his  loins,  and  a  pair  of  Indian 
moccasins  upon  his  feet,  with  manacles  of  steel 
upon  his  hands,  but  with  a  high  free  port  and  bold 
demeanor.  In  a  recess,  likewise,  below  the  bar, 
usually  covered  by  a  curtain,  which  was  now 
drawn  up,  a  fearful  looking  instrument,  composed 
of  many  wheels  and  springs  of  steel,  over  which 
leaned  a  truculent  dark-visaged  ruffian,  showed 
the  full  means  to  which  the  council  had  recourse 
to  elicit  truth  from  stubborn  prisoners  or  unwil 
ling  witnesses. 

Pointing  to  these  recess,  with  its  appalling  con 
tents,  Don  Juan  was  in  act  of  speaking  to  the  pri 
soner,  when  he  was  interrupted  by  his  saying,  in 
very  tolerable  Spanish, 

"  There  is  no  need  of  that,  your  Excellency ! — 
without  compulsion  I  am  ready  to  declare  all  that 
I  know  of  these  buccaneers — for  that  I  do  know 
something  of  them,  it  were  quite  needless  to  deny. 
I  have  dealt  with  them  often — sold  them  my  fish 
and  vegetables ;  and  very  liberal  buyers  are  they 
too — somewhat  rough  handed  at  odd  times,  but 
what  of  that — if  they  did  slice  off  my  old  comrade 
Xavier's  ears  for  selling  a  raw  Englishman  a  lot 
of  gulls1  for  wildfowl,  they  gave  him  gold  enough 
to  buy  his  freedom  afterward.  Yes  !  yes  !  I  know 
all  their  haunts — and  I  will  tell  the  truth — yes !  I 
will  betray  them  all — lead  you  up  to  their  very 
hold — now  they  have  carried  off  the  fair  young 
Senora,  who  had  ever  a  sweet  smile  and  a  kind 
word  for  the  poor  blacks.  As  for  the  proud 
young  Don,  they  might  have  tortured  him  to  all 
eternity,  ere  I  would  have  told  aught  against  them 
— but  now  that  they  have  carried  off  Teresa — " 

':  This  to  me,  dog?" — Melendez  interrupted  him, 
in  tones  that  revealed  the  violence  of  his  feelings 


— "  Know  you  to  whom  you  speak  ?  This  to  me, 
to  me,  villain?  Seize  him,  you  halberdiers,  strip 
him,  and  drag  him  to  the  rack.  By  the  bones  of 
St.  James  of  Compostella,  he  shall  taste  straight 
way  of  these  tortures,  he  prates  about  so  glibly ! 
— yes  !  by  the  sacred  souls  of  all  the  martyrs — he 
shall  die  under  them !" 

"  For  heaven's  sake,  hold,  your  Excellency," — 
Diego  whispered  in  his  ear — "  or  we  shall  get  no 
word  from  him.  I  know  the  knave  of  old  ?  He 
is  as  stubborn  as  an  old  mule  of  Arragon,  and  has, 
I  believe,  no  more  feeling  than  a  fish.  Suffer  his 
insolence,  for  God's  sake — so  by  his  guidance  we 
may  save  your  daughter." 

"  You  say  very  well,  Sir  Don  Diego" — inter 
rupted  the  free  black,  who  had  overheard  him — 
"  You  say  very  well  and  wisely.  For  if  he  gave 
me  one  wrench  on  that  cursed  rack  I  would  not 
speak  one  word  to  him ;  and  if  he  were  to  kill 
me,  you  know,  that  would  bring  him  no  nearer 
to  recovering  his  daughter.  No !  no  !  it  is  no  use 
to  hurt  me — not  the  least  in  the  world.  Besides, 
I  did  not  mean  to  vex  him  when  I  spoke — I  was 
thinking  aloud  only,  and  would  n't  have  said  it,  if 
I  'd  thought — not  but  what  it  was  cf}te  true.  I 
won't  deny  that  it  was  quite  true.  But  lord  ! 
it  would  be  no  use  racking  me — you  'd  just  as 
well  get  Spanish  words  out  of  the  big  old  alli 
gator  down  in  the  castle  ditch,  as  you  'd  get  any 
thing  but  curses  out  of  me  by  all  your  torturing. 
But  as  I  said  before — I  '11  tell  you  all  the  truth, 
and  bring  you  right  upon  them,  now  that  they  've 
carried  off  Teresa.  Yes  !  yes  !  I  know  where 
they  're  gone,  and  I  '11  carry  all  of  you  after  them 
— but  not  with  those  big  caravellas — they  draw 
quite  too  much  water.  But  you  can  take  the  ship 
boats  in,  and  mount  some  heavy  guns  in  the  long 
fishing  pirogues — and  then — yes  !  yes  !  then  you 
can  catch  the  rogues,  and  kill  them — and  eattherri- 
if  you  like,  too,  for  that  matter — but  I  suppose 
you  don't  care  so  much  about  that — and  save  the 
pretty  Senora — for  I  don't  think  they  've  done  her 
much  harm  yet — he 's  an  honest  chap,  is  that  Ring- 
wood  to  be  such  an  infernal  thief — and  pay  them 
for  screwing  the  young  Don,  down  there.  Yes  ! 
yes  !  that  will  be  better  much  than  racking  me  >' 
now  won't  it?"  and  he  burst  into  a  yell  of  most 
obstreperous  laughter. 

"  May  we  trust — think  you.  good  Diego — in  this 
knowledge  that  he  boasts  of?"  whispered  Melen 
dez  to  his  veteran  counsellor. 

"  Unquestionably  may  we" — answered  the 
other,  in  the  same  low  tones.  "  There  's  not  a 
bayou  or  lagoon,  a  river  or  salt  creek  in  all  Flo 
rida,  he  does  not  know  as  well  as  his  own  hut — 
nor  a  sand  key,  or  solitary  rock  along  the  coast, 
but  he  has  once  and  again  explored  it.  Besides 


RINGWOOD    THE    ROVER, 


he  is  in  league  of  amity  with  the  red  Indians,  the 
wild  Seminoles ;  and  if  he  chooses  he  can  bring 
out  the  warriors  of  their  tribe  to  aid  us.  He  is  a 
faithful  knave  too,  and  a  valiant ;  though  some 
what  bold  of  speech,  and  to  the  windward  not  a 
little  of  due  reverence  for  his  superiors — yet  no 
man  ever  heard  him  tell  a  lie,  or  break  a  promise ! 
Best  place  full  trust  in  him !  Heard  you  not  what 
he  said  of  Senora  ?  since  she  was  but  a  child  he 
loved  her — and  he  knows,  as  I  hear,  right  well  the 
character  of  the  great  English  Rover." 

"  Well,  fellow,  you  can  guide  us,  as  you  say, 
and  will.  Well  then,  suppose  we  trust  you,  shall 
we  set  forth,  and  how?" 

"  You  shall  set  sail  to-night — directly" — an 
swered  the  negro  promptly — "  with  your  four  ca- 
ravellas ;  and  make  all  speed  quite  round  Cape 
Florida — and  then  run  sixty  miles  up,  close  along 
the  coast — then  get  out  all  the  boats,  and  man 
them  full;  and  take  along  with  you  fifteen  or 
twenty  big  pirogues — the  fishermen  came  in  this 
morning  after  the  storm,  filled  full  of  soldiers, 
and  with  heavy  guns.  There  is  a  narrow — oh 
very  narrow — creek,  not  ten  yards  quite  across, 
puts  in  therefrom  the  sea,  covered  with  manchi- 
nell  and  mangroves  so  no  eye  can  discover  it — up 
that  you  shall  row  twenty,  aye,  nigh  thirty  miles ; 
and  there  you  will  find  a  big  clear  lake,  with  fort, 
and  village,  and  feluccas — there  live  the  pirates  ! 
their  strong  hold." 

"  And  you  can  pilot  us?     So  be  it,  then!" 

"No!  no!"  replied  the  black,  "pilot  you  I 
could  very  well ;  but  that  won't  do  ! — no  !  no !  if 
you  go  up  alone,  the  pirates  fire  on  you  from  the 
bush,  cut  you  up  quite,  beat  you  all  to  the  devil 
— no !  no  !  my  comrade  Xavier,  he  best  must  pi. 
lot  you.  I  must  get  out  old  Tiger-tail — the  great 
chief  of  the  Seminoles,  with  his  red  warriors,  and 
go  quite  quiet  through  the  forest — so  when  you 
take  them  front,  we  fall  upon  their  back,  and 
shoot  them  every  way — destroy  them  altogether. 
Don  Amadis  go  along  with  us — he  '11  go  along 
with  black  Antonio,  he  '11  go — he  fears  not  any 
thing ! — take  fifty  musket  men,  and  with  the  In 
dians  we  '11  do — yes !  yes  !  we  '11  do  quite  well, 
and  save  Teresa !" 

"  He  's  right — your  Excellency — black  Antonio 
is  right,"  exclaimed  the  eager  Amadis,  "  I  '11  go 
with  him  by  St.  Jago  !  He  shames  us  all  for  wis 
dom  ! — and  hark,  Antonio,  I  '11  take  a  hundred 
men,  not  fifty — a  hundred  of  my  own  old  Casti- 
lians.  Where  will  you  find  the  Indians  ? — where 's 
Xavier? — quick!  quick  speak." 

"  Xavier  's  below,  Don  Amadis,  he  was  along 
with  me  when  these  kind  gentlemen,"  looking 
toward  the  halberdiers,  "  laid  hold  of  me,  and  he 
won't  stir,  till  he  sees  me  !  And  for  the  Indians, 


never  fear  but  I  can  find  them — get  you  your  men 
into  marching  trim,  with  lots  of  ball  and  ammu 
nition  ;  and  let  each  soldier  bring  a  spare  firelock 
with  him,  so  can  we  arm  a  hundred  of  the  Semi 
noles,  and  meet  me  at  the  land  gate  by  sunset,  and 
we  '11  get  under  way  at  once  !" 

"Hold!  hold!"  replied  Melendez,  evidently 
speaking  in  great  agitation  and  much  doubt,  "  this 
will  not  do — I  fear — no !  no !  It  will  be  quite 
impossible  to  act  in  concert ;  we  shall  fall  on  at 
different  times,  and  so  be  beaten  in  detail." 

"  Not  so,  fair  sir,"  the  negro  answered  eagerly, 
"  the  Indian  runners  will  watch  all  your  move 
ments  from  the  shore,  and  bring  us  word  into  the 
bush,  when  you  have  pulled  up  into  the  stream, 
and  how  you  prosper ! — no  fear  but  we  can  act  in 
concert !" 

For  a  few  moments  the  stern  governor  mused 
deeply,  the  dark  expression  and  hard  lines  of  his 
bold  visage  showing  no  tokens  of  incertitude  or 
agitation ;  yet  the  broad  hand,  which  he  had  laid 
upon  the  board,  quivered  perceptibly,  and  he  kept 
beating  his  heel  with  a  quick  nervous  action 
against  the  footstool,  which  was  placed  before  his 
honorary  chair. 

"  Remove  the  negro,"  he  said  at  length,  raising 
his  eyes  slowly  from  the  floor  on  which  they  had 
been  riveted — "treat  him  with  kindness,  but 
keep  strict  ward  on  him — begone  !" 

A  little  bustle  took  place,  while  the  halberdiers 
were  leading  off  Antonio,  and  the  secretaries,  in 
obedience  to  a  signal  from  Don  Juan,  were  with 
drawing  from  the  chamber.  The  moment  it 
ceased,  however,  Melendez  rose  from  his  seat ; 
and  casting  his  eyes  round  the  circle  as  if  to  read 
the  thoughts  of  each  of  his  advisers,  addressed 
them  firmly,  with  a  voice,  low-pitched  indeed, 
and  perhaps  somewhat  subdued,  but  steady  withal 
and  unfaltering." 

"  Gentlemen,"  he  began,  "  and  comrades.  I 
am  a  father,  as  ye  know ;  and,  as  a  father,  must 
feel  deeply  the  appalling  situation  of  my  most 
wretched  child — must  burn  to  rescue  her  from  the 
pollution  which,  if  it  have  not  tainted,  surrounds 
at  least,  and  threatens  her.  I  am  a  soldier  like 
wise,  and  governor  of  this  fair  town ;  and,  as 
such,  am  in  honor  bound  and  duty,  to  fetter  down 
all  private  sentiments  obedient  to  my  military  de 
voir  ! — am  bound  to  provide,  before  all  things,  for 
the  good  state  and  safety  of  this  my  loyal  govern 
ment.  I  am  hard  set,  and  look  to  all  of  you  for 
council.  Should  we  adopt  the  negro's  plan,  and 
trust  to  his  guidance — as,  if  we  move  at  all  in  this 
same  business,  I  see  not  how  we  can  do  else — 
there  is  good  cause  to  hope  !  great  cause  to  fear  ! 
If  he  be  trustworthy,  and  if  his  plan  succeed,  we 
shall  preserve  Teresa — root  out,  and  utterly  de- 


A    TALE    OF    FLORIDA. 


33 


stroy  a  nest  of  pestilent  accursed  pirates,  and  win 
great  booty,  and  no  small  renown!  If  on  the 
other  hand  we  fail — which  we  may  do  right  easily 
— our  whole  force  must  be  annihilated — nor  is  this 
all !  We  must  so  weaken  the  garrison  here  at  St. 
Augustine,  for  to  make  any  head  against  them 
we  shall  need  every  man  that  we  can  muster — 
that  if  we  be  beaten,  and  the  buccaneers  follow, 
as  they  doubtless  will,  the  blow,  they  might  well 
win  the  city  !  Thus  stands  the  case — there  is  a 
mighty  gain  !  there  is  a  mighty  peril !  I  can  not 
— I  dare  not  decide  ! — for  I  cannot  distinguish,  so 
fiercely  is  my  soul  disturbed,  between  a  parent's 
passion,  and  a  leader's  duty  !  Speak  ye,  in  order 
then !  Diego — first !  and  oh  speak  honestly  and 
freely  !" 

Before  he  had  s^t  down,  tfce  old  grayheaded 
warrior  started  to  his  feet ;  and  cool  although  he 
was,  and  guarded  for  the  most  part,  he  spoke  as 
hotly  now — as  passionately  as  a  boy ! 

"  The  question,  gentlemen,  is  this — this  abso 
lutely  ,'  ONLY  !  Whether  we  shall  give  up  a  wo 
man — a  Christian  maid — a  Spanish  lady — to  the 
brute  violence  of  these  incarnate  fiends — without 
one  blow — one  effort  to  relieve  her;  or  march 
with  all  our  power  to  liberate  her,  if  we  may ! 
to  die  for  her  if  we  may  not !  Being  myself  a 
Spaniard,  a  soldier,  and  a  knight,  I  have  but  one 
reply  to  this  question,  and  see  not  how  a  Juan 
could  find  a  second !  we  must  assay  it  with  all  our 
best  endeavors,  and  leave  the  rest  to  God!" 

"Not  for  the  maiden's  sake  alone,"  exclaimed 
Gutierrez  eagerly,  "  though  that  were  ample 
cause !  but,  as  I  see  the  matter,  in  duty  to  our 
king  we  stand  bound  to  avenge  the  insult  offered 
to  his  flag,  in  duty  to  humanity  to  hunt  out 
wretches,  who  set  its  every  dictate  at  defiance, 
in  duty  to  the  laws  of  common  policy  to  strike  at 
the  foe  in  his  own  place  of  strength,  rather  than 
wait  his  pleasure  to  assault  our  weakness !" 

"  Besides,"  cried  Pedro,  "  we  are  far  stronger 
than  our  ordinary  power  by  aid  of  these  stout  ca- 
ravellas — their  crews  will  double  our  effective 
strength!" 

"I  brought  with  me,  a  private  volunteer,  one 
hundred  picked  Castilians,  bound  to  no  duties, 
save  at  mine  own  will,"  cried  Amadis  with  fiery 
vehemence ;  "if  not  a  soldier  else  stir  from  the 
city  gates,  I,  with  my  men,  march  out  to-night 
at  sunset !" 

"  And  I,"  exclaimed  the  elder  and  superior  of 
the  four  Spanish  sea  captains,  "  as  in  obedience  to 
my  broad  letters  of  commission,  shall  sail  this 
night  with  my  four  frigates,  to  take,  burn,  sink, 
and  by  all  means  destroy,  and  harass  the  foemen 
of  my  king  and  country !  Eight  hundred  stout 
hands  can  we  muster  for  boat  service ;  leaving 


enough  behind  to  work  and  guard  the  caravellas ! 
Do  you,  Sir  Governor,  embark  six  hundred  more 
of  your  best  veterans  on  board  us,  press  every 
fisherman  and  mariner  to  follow  us,  with  every 
boat,  pirogue  or  galley,  they  can  find ;  let  this 
young  cavalier  go  with  his  followers  to  join  the 
Indians,  and  my  life  on  the  issue  !" 

"  Be  it  so,  gentlemen  !     Fair  thanks  to  all  for 

j  your  good  courtesy !  and  may  God  guard  the  right. 

i  You,  Don  Diego,  I  leave  here — nay,  it  must  be  so, 
my  good  friend — lieutenant  in  my  absence.  Pedro, 
Gutierrez,  lot  the  drums  beat  to  arms  ! — muster 
the  garrison  in  the  great  square  !  pick  out  six  hun 
dred,  the  youngest  and  best  soldiers! — let  each 
man  have  his  morion  and  breast  plate,  but  no  back 
piece,  brassards  or  taslets ;  each  man  a  musket 
with  an  hundred  round  of  cartridge,  broad-sword 
and  dagger,  and  two  pistols  !  Ye  gentlemen  of 
the  marine  will  see  them  on  board  straightway  ! 
A  word  with  thee,  Don  Amadis  !  Ye  to  your  du 
ties,  gentlemen,  anon  I  will  be  with  ye  !" 

"  Amadis,"  he  continued,  as  soon  as  they  were 
left  alone,  "  win  her  and  wear  her  !  If  God  give 
you  the  grace  to  rescue  her,  before  God  shall  you 
wed  her.  Get  your  men  under  arms,  take  with 
you  black  Antonio,  and  God  speed  you  !" 

Trumpets  pealed  wildly  through  the  streets — 
the  drums  rolled  long  and  loud — and,  with  the  clash 
of  arms  and  tramp  of  marshaled  footsteps,  the 
veterans  of  the  garrison  were  mustered !  Before 
the  sun  set,  the  tall  caravellas  had  cleared  the 
landlocked  bay ;  staggering  out  to  sea  with  a  fair 
breeze,  each  stitch  of  canvas  set,  that  they  could 
carry ;  and  his  last  glances  fell  upon  the  little 
party  of  Don  Amadis,  filing  away  under  the 
guidance  of  the  faithful  negro,  into  the  pathless 
forest. 

CHAPTER  VII. 

It  .was  already  afternoon  when  Ringwood  left 
he  cabin  ;  so  far  had  the  recital  of  his  tale, 
broken  by  violent  fits  of  wrathful  indignation, 
and  bursts  of  fiery  passion,  trespassed  upon  the 
day.  When  he  reached  the  deck,  he  found  he 
had  conjectured,  justly,  the  cause  of  the  bustle 
overhead,  which  had  excited  his  attention,  while 
in  the  very  heat  and  tumult  of  his  remembered 
wrongs  and  meditated  vengeance. 

The  vessel  was  now  heading  to  the  northward, 
having  already  rounded  the  extremity  of  Florida, 
and,  with  the  wind  on  her  larboard  beam,  blow 
ing  strong  and  warm  directly  from  the  Gulf,  was 
running  close  in  shore  along  the  western  coast  of 
that  forest-mantled  promontory.  The  alteration 
in  the  course  of  the  felucca,  and  corresponding 
changes  of  her  trim  and  tackling,  had,  therefore, 


34 


RINGWOOD    THE    ROVER, 


as  Ringwood  supposed,  produced  the  sounds  on 
deck — confusion  tending  unto  order.     The  wide 
spread  studding  sails  which  had  protruded  many 
feet  beyond  her  ordinary  yard-arms,  wooing  the 
favorable  breeze,  while  previous    to  their  doub 
ling  the  cape,  it  had  fallen  full  upon  her  starboard 
quarter,  were  now  reduced,  her  topsails  reefed, 
and  her  topgallant  yards  sent  down,  as  if  in  pre 
paration  for  a  storm,  although  no  cloud  or  speck 
of  vapor  was  visible  on  the  bright  clear  horizon. 
Her    consorts,    close   behind   her,    were    gliding 
along  gently  under  the  same  easy  sail,   in  obe 
dience,  as  it  seemed,  to  a  set  of  signals  floating  at 
Ringwood's  fore,  and  thence  repeated  by  each  fol 
lowing    barque  of  the    squadron,  which  came  on 
singly,    in   long  file,  the  leading  vessel  being  a 
mile,  at  least,  in  advance  of  the  last.    The  waves, 
or  wavelets  rather — for  though  the  breeze  blew 
steadily  and  strong,  the  surface  of  the  Gulf  was, 
notwithstanding,  singularly  calm  and  level — were 
as  bright,  and  almost  as  transparent  as  a  sheet  of 
crystal;  every  rock,  every  coral  reef  that  rose 
sheer    from   the  white   and  sandy  bottom — nay, 
every  green    variety  of  ocean-grass  and  weed, 
every  bright  shell  and  gorgeous  sea-flower  that 
studded,  as  with  a  thousand  living  gems,  the  glis 
tening   pavement   of  the    deep,    was    visible   as 
clearly  as  though  no  denser  medium  than  the  air 
were  interposed  between  them  and  the  eye  that 
gazed   in  rapture  on  their  wonders.     Scores  of 
bright  flying  fish,  their  white  scales  glancing  silvery 
to  the  sunshine,  their  wing-like  fins  fast  flashing, 
leaped  up  from  the  small  ripples,  momently,  and 
vanished  beneath  them ;  the  blue  shark  shot  along, 
suspended,  as  it  were,  in  the  transparent  waters, 
leaving  behind  him  a  long  streak  of  flashing  lus 
tre  ;    the  albatross  soared  high  upon  his  snow- 
white  pinion,  while  gulls  and  sea-swallows,  and 
petals  of  every  size  and  color  skimmed  the  calm 
deep  in  the  pursuit  of  prey  or  pleasure.     To  the 
right,  meanwhile,  lay  the  low  shores  of  Florida, 
glowing  with  mingled  tints  of  almost  magical  ver 
dure.     Tall  palms,  with  their  soft,  feathery  tops, 
towering  far,  far  up  into  the  blue  serene,  above 
the  denser  foliage  of  the  oaks  and  locusts,  which 
blent  with  giant  cedars ;  and  the  funereal  cypress, 
hung  with  long  wreaths  of  pale  and  ghostly  moss, 
composed  the  eternal  forest — the  forest  which, 
in  its  turn,  overbowering  thousands  of  flowering 
shrubs :    magnolias,  with  their   vast   chalices    of 
odoriferous  snow;  and  dogwood,  bright  with  un 
numbered  star-like  blossoms  :  roses  of  every  hue ; 
calmias,    and   rhododendrons,    and   azalias,  with 
many  fold  and  clustered  bloom,  varying  from  pure 
white,  through  all  the  shades  of  blush,  and  pink, 
and  violet,  to  gorgeous  kingly  purple.  And  above 
all,  the  orange,  that  young  bride  of  the  vegetable 


world,  enriching  all  the  atmosphere  with  power- 
ul  and  almost  oppressive  perfume.  Bushes  of 
nanchineal  and  .mangrove  fringed  the  low  banks, 
growing  far  out  into  the  shallow  waters,  which 
actually  laved  their  roots,  and  floated  the  long 
wreaths  of  massive  greenery  that  garlanded  their 
pendulous  branches. 

Hard  by  the  outer  verge  of  this  sea-cradled 
coppice,  with  little  room  to  spare  between  her 
all  topgallant  masts  and  the  wide-reaching  limbs 
of  the  huge  forest  trees  which,  here  and  there, 
irotruding  from  the  browr  of  some  blufF  eminence, 
or  island  knoll,  overhung  the  navigable  channel, 
he  gallant  picaroon  shot  onward,  her  bellying 
sails  shimmering  white  in  the  meridian  sunbeams 
and  the  glad  waters  foaming  before  her  sharp, 
lean  bows,  ripping  with  a  hparse  laughter  along 
tier  beautifully  moulded  sides,  and  forming  in  her 
wake  a  broad  and  frothy  furrow,  where,  parted 
for  a  moment  by  her  fleet  transit,  they  foamed 
and  frolicked  as  if  they  joyed  in  their  reunion. 
Fair  blewr  the  western  breeze,  and  fresh ;  and,  as 
the  sun  turned  westward^  in  his  path  of  glory,  it 
freshened  more  and  more  :  and  as  the  shades  of 
evening  grew  less  distant,  fleeter  it  waxed,  and 
stronger,  till  it  became  a  stiff,  though  not  unfa 
vorable  gale. 

Long 'before  this,  had  the  topgallant  masts  of 
the  felucca  been  housed ;  and  now  her  topsails 
were  close  reefed,  and  still  with  undiminished 
speed — now  lying  over  as  the  gale  fell  full  and 
steady  on  her  distended  canvas,  till  her  long 
yards  seemed  on  the  point  of  dipping  into  the 
waves  to  leeward ;  now  surging  up  again  with 
graceful  elasticity  in  every  temporary  lull — the 
rapid  barque  flew  through  the  gurgling  waters. 
Fast  flew  she,  nor  less  fast  did  her  gay  consorts 
follow  :  nor  did  the  winged  hours  flag  more  than 
they  in  their  career  across  the  firmament. 

.The  day  was  nigh  spent,  and  the  dim  presage 
of  approaching  night  was  stealing  fast  over  the 
azure  vault,  on  the  last  western  verge  of  which, 
his  lower  limit  already  merged  in  its  ocean  bed, 
glowing  like  a  red  furnace  with  his  borrowed 
lustre — half  the  sun's  disk  of  gold  hung  on  the 
very  point  of  disappearing.  A  thousand  purple 
tints  were  creeping  over  the  bright  pure  sky ;  a 
thousand  rosy  gleams  were  flickering  upon  the 
glassy  waves,  most  like  the  varying  hues  seen  on 
the  changeful  scales  of  the  expiring  dolphin  ;  and 
now  he  plunged  into  the  deep.  For  a  few  se 
conds,  long,  radiant  streams  of  many-colored  light, 
ruby,  and  pink,  and  violet,  checkered  the  dark 
ening  arch :  these  passed  away,  and  a  deep  pur 
ple  shadow  swept  slowly,  as  projected  from  a 
curtain  interposed,  across  the  firmanent  of  hea- 
vean — across  the  laughing  waters.  Scarcely, 


A    TALE    OF    FLORIDA. 


3-1 


however,  had  that  purple  shade  pervaded  the 
whole  visible  universe,  before  another  change 
succeeded.  Myriads  of  stars,  planets,  and  sta 
tionary  orbs,  and  confused  milky  constellations, 
burst  out  at  once,  like  eyes  unclouded  from  sleep, 
beaming,  or  twinkling  with  quick  diamond  rays, 
from  every  quarter  of  the"  deep  blue,  viewless 
ether,  which  stretched  away,  contrasted  to  their 
sudden  brilliancy,  far,  far — a  vast  abyss  of  lus 
trous  blackness.  Still  fair  and  freshly  blew  the 
breeze — still  the  bark  bounded  onward,  eager  as 
the  worn  steed,  which  all  forgets  his  weariness 
as  he  draws  nigh  his  stall. 

"  Ho !  Cunninghame,"  exclaimed  the  Rover, 
pausing  in  his  walk  to  and  fro  on  his  brief  quar 
terdeck.  "Ho!  we  be  here  at  last — bid  them 
beat  instantly  to  quarters." 

The  order  had  been  anticipated  by  the  crew 
before  the  words  were  spoken — the  drummer  had 
assumed  his  instrument,  and  the  men  were  already 
mustered  in  divisions,  expectant  of  the  call  to 
quarters  ;  for  they  had  made  the  last  well-remem 
bered  headland,  a  short  league  to  the  southward  of 
their  harbor.  Taking  his  cue  then  from  the 
Rover's  words,  almost  before  his  officer  had  is 
sued  the  command,  the  long  roll  of  the  drum 
might  be  heard  mingling  with  the  sweet  sigh  of 
the  sea  breeze  ;  and  with  the  first  rattle  the  strong- 
handed  crew  flew  to  their  proper  stations. 

"  Down  with  the  helm,  haul  on  your  starboard 
braces!"  The  rattling  of  the  blocks  succeeded, 
and  the  harsh  straining  of  the  cordage,  mixed  with 
a  rumbling  creak,  as  the  huge  yards  obeyed  their 
impulse ;  and  instantly  the  graceful  ship  swung 
up  almost  into  the  wind's  eye,  and  stood  with 
scarce  diminished  speed  directly  from  the  shore, 
which  she  had  hugged  all  day ;  going,  although 
close-handed,  at  a  rate  not  inferior  to  seven  knots 
the  hour.  It  needed,  therefore,  but  a  little  while 
to  gain  an  offing  of  a  mile ;  when  she  again  went 
right  about ;  and,  with  her  head  pointing  straight 
on  shore,  dashed  onward  with  the  wind  dead 
astern. 

"Away  there,  topmen!"  and  with  the  word, 
the  nimble  hands  were  hurrying  up  the  rigging, 
and  ready  for  the  next  command. 

"In  with  your  fore  and  mizen  topsails,"  and 
ere  five  minutes  had  elapsed,  the  sails  were  clued 
up  in  festoons,  and  the  ponderous  yards  upon  the 
caps.  "Strike  the  foretopmast"  followed;  and 
instantly  the  heel  of  that  huge  spar  ran  half  way 
down  the  lower  'mast — "  Strike  the  mizen  top 
mast.  In  with  the  main  topsail."  These  orders 
were  immediately  obeyed ;  and  in  less  than  ten 
minutes  from  the  time  when  she  had  gone  about, 
the  felucca  was  dashing,  as  it  seemed,  dead  ashore, 
with  her  three  topmasts  struck,  her  yards  a  cock- 


bill,  and  not  one  stitch  of  canvas,  save  the  fore- 
topsail,  set. 

Before  her  lay  the  shore,  low  as  it  has  been 
described  and  level — bordered  with  a  deep  fringe 
of  floating  verdure — among  and  over  which  the 
surf,  set  in  by  the  strong  western  gale,  broke  high 
and  stormy,  and  covered  far  aloft  with  the  im 
penetrable  and  eternal  foliage  of  the  tropical 
forest !  Behind  her  whistled  the  driving  breeze, 
and  swelled  the  rolling  billows  !  on  she  came  fast 
and  fearless  !  and  now  her  bows  were  almost  bat 
tered  in  the  upflashing  surf!  yet  was  there  visi 
ble  no  opening  in  the  low-growing  mangroves — no 
gap  in  the  vast  mass  of  leafy  blackness,  which 
stood  out  like  a  wall  in  clear  and  palpable  relief 
against  the  starry  sky  !  one  thing,  however,  might 
have  been  marked  by  a  sailor's  eye,  although  a 
landsman  would  scarce  have  discerned  the  sign,  or 
known  its  meaning,  if  he  had  discovered  it.  Right 
under  the  light  vessel's  bowsprit  there  showed 
one  narrow  spot  where  the  surf  broke  not,  where 
undisturbed  the  floating  mangroves  reposed  upon  a 
streak,  for  it  was  nothing  more,  of  dark  blue 
water,  scarcely  ten  yards  in  width,  where  for  a  lit 
tle  space  the  giant  timber  that  overhung  them  re 
ceded  from  the  margin  of  the  billows.  Right  upon 
this  the  felucca  steered,  the  practiced  hand  of  no 
less  a  mariner  than  Ringwood  wielding  the  obe 
dient  tiller  !  Right  up  this  she  steered,  as  though 
she  followed  a  well  known  and  easy  channel  into 
a  secure  harbor. 

"  Ready  there  forward  with  the  long  starboard 
falconet  !"  demanded  the  clear  accents  of  the  Ro 
ver. 

"  Ready,  sir;"  was  the  quick  response. 

"Then  fire!"  a  stream  of  vivid  flame  burst 
from  a  bow  port  of  the  picaroon,  driving  a  cloud 
of  snow  white  smoke  before  it,  and  the  loud 
booming  voice  of  the  heavy  gun  succeeded.  Im 
mediately  a  quick  thin  flash  was  seen  ashore  fol 
lowed  by  the  report  of  a  carbine — and  then,  right 
in  the  centre  of  the  little  bay  formed  by  the  re 
cess  of  the  forest  trees,  directly  over  the  space  of 
dark  blue  water,  a  blaze  of  red  light  burst  forth 
sharp  and  dazzling,  a  dusky  crimson  glare,  in 
which  the  bright  green  foliage  of  the  underwood, 
and  the  rugged  stems  of  the  huge  timber  trees, 
the  purple  billows,  and  the  dark  sky,  glowed  with 
a  deep  and  lurid  tinge.  "  Stand  by  there,  with 
the  grapnels!" 

On !  on !  she  darted — the  thick  embowered 
manchineels  were  pierced  by  her  long  tapering 
bowsprit — her  cut- water  plunged  into  their  dense 
greenery — the  parted  branches  rattled  and  scouped 
against  her  lean  bows  as  they  severed  them — the 
leaves,  entangled  in  her  rigging,  were  torn  vio 
lently  from  their  parent  branches ;  a  moment,  and 


36 


RING  WOOD    THE    ROVER, 


she  had  passed  through  them ;  and  with  the  im 
pulse  of  her  previous  motion,  was  rushing  up  a 
deep  but  narrow  river — so  narrow,  that  there 
were  scarcely  six  clear  feet  of  space  between  her 
bulwarks  and  the  shore  on  either  hand.  "  Heave" 
— and  the  iron  graplings,  whirled  by  strong  hands 
and  with  a  will,  rattled  among  the  tangled  cop 
pice — "  On  shore  there  !" 

"Ay!  ay!" 

"  Haul  taunt,  and  belay!"  and  instantly,  from 
either  bow,  a  strong  rope  was  dragged  forcibly 
ashore  by  unseen  hands,  and  made  fast  to  the 
giant  trunks,  which  swelled  both  banks  of  that 
dark  stream  with  an  unbroken  barrier, — the  vessel 
was  checked  from  her  way,  and  after  lying  for  a 
few  seconds  motionless,  yielded  to  the  strong  tide 
which  was  setting  like  a  mill-race  outward,  and 
fell  aft  to  the  full  swing  of  her  cables. 

"  Get  hands  enough  ashore  now,  Master  Cun- 
ninghame ;  carry  out  warps,  and  swing  her  round 
the  point— look  alive  !  look  alive !  Godslife— the 
Albicore  is  close  in  shore  even  now ;  heave  at  the 
capstan  ho  ! — round  with  it,  men — round  with  it ! 
— or  she'll  be  into  us  stern  on !" 

Scarce  forty  yards  from  the  embouchure  of  the 
river,  the  channel  turned  at  a  sharp  angle  round  a 
low  point  into  a  small  round  basin ;  whence  with 
a  tortuous  route  the  stream  might  be  traced — tur 
bid  and  black  and  swift,  but  singularly  narrow ; 
for  miles  into  the  heart  of  the  forest,  to  the  far 
source  where  it  boiled  up  at  once,  from  the  bow 
els  of  the  earth  into  a  large  broad  pool, — so  deep 
that  never  lead  had  found  its  bottom,  even  at  its 
birth  a  river.  Upon  this  point  a  little  knot  of 
men  was  gathered  :  and  here  the  light  had  been 
displayed  at  the  felucca's  signal,  which  had  now 
quite  expired.  The  men  wrought  eagerly  and 
well ;  and  many  minutes  had  not  passed  before 
the  picaroon  swung  round  the  point  into  the 
little  landlocked  basin ;  just  as  a  gun  from  the 
Albicore  announced  her  close  proximity,  and  was 
replied  to,  as  before,  by  a  brief  exhibition  of  the 
same  crimson  light. 

Meanwhile  the  Rover  had  got  all  his  boats  out, 
and  strongly  manned ;  so  that  before  the  second 
barque  rounded  the  inner  point,  he  was  already 
under  way — towing,  and  sweeping,  where  the 
stream  occasionally  widened,  and  warping  through 
its  frequent  windings  toward  its  sequestered  source 
— hearing,  each  after  each,  the  signal  guns  of  his 
consorts  as  they  made  the  cove,  and  confident  that, 
for  a  time  at  least,  all  were  secure  from  peril, 
whether  of  wind  or  warfare.  Through  all  that 
livelong  night  the  crews  toiled  faithfully  by  gangs, 
plying  the  oars  in  the  light  whale-boats,  or  laboring 
with  more  severe  exertions  at  the  huge  sweeps  of 
the  felucca !  All  night  they  toiled ! — but  not  all 


night  did  Ringwood,  weaned  with  past  labor  and 
yet  more  overdone  by  struggling  with  his  own 
furious  passions,  watch  on  the  guarded  deck.  At 
midnight,  or  a  little  after,  descending  the  com 
panion  stairs,  he  sought  the  privacy  of  his  own 
cabin.  Erect  and  stern  the  negro  sentry  stood  at 
his  wonted  post,  presenting  arms  as  his  proud 
leader  passed. 

"  Let  Charon  call  my  steward,"  he  said,  "  bid 
him  bring  food  and  wine."  ' 

"  Even  now  it  waits  you,  noble  sir,"  answered 
the  black  attendant,  "  this  hour  or  more  it  hath 
been  prepared." 

Without  more  words  the  Rover  entered  his 
apartment,  andTjlithely  did  it  show,  and  cheerful 
ly  by  the  bright  radiance  of  the  large  crystal 
lamps,  suspended  from  the  gilded  beams,  and 
throwing  into  every  angle  and  recess  a  flood  of 
clear  illumination  The  large  square  board,  still 
cumbered  with  its  accustomed  load  of  books  and 
charts,  papers  scrawled  over  with  problems  of 
singular  and  abstruse  calculation,  quadrant,  and 
astrolabe,  and  compass,  and  other  instruments  of 
singular  device,  and,  as  in  those  days  it  was 
deemed,  rare  virtue — had  been  wheeled  aside ; 
in  its  stead  a  small  round  table,  covered  with  a 
cloth  of  brilliant  whiteness,  and  bearing  all  pro 
vocatives  to  tempt  a  languid  appetite,  now  occu 
pied  the  centre  of  the  cabin.  A  single  cover  of 
richly  chased  and  burnished  gold,  with  spoons  and 
forks  of  the  same  precious  metal ;  a  goblet  rough 
with  the  work  of  Benvenuto's  graver ;  several 
tall  rummers  of  thin  Venice  glass,  flanked  by 
two  flasks  of  wine,  were  appropriate  decorations 
to  a  cold  larded  capon,  a  salted  neat's  tongue,  ca 
viar,  and  other  delicacies  of  a  like  thirsty  nature 

"Yet  did  the  pirate  chief  manifest  little  inclina 
tion  to  taste  the  dainties,  which — till  he  saw  them 
set  before  him — he  fancied  he  had  needed.  He 
threw  himself  into  a  velvet-cushioned  chair,  which 
stood  beside  the  board,  stretched  out  his  legs,  and 
covering  his  face  with  his  broad  hand,  remained 
for  many  minutes  silent,  absorbed  in  deep  and 
gloomy  meditation.  At  length  he  started  up  and 
sat  erect,  gazing  about  him  with  a  strange  bewil 
dered  glance,  as  if  he  had  expected  to  discover 
some  one  whose  voice  had  roused  him  from  his 
lethargy — within  a  second's  space,  however,  he 
was  calm  and  collected  as  before. 

"  Marvelous,  marvelous,  indeed !"  he-  said, 
thinking  aloud  as  it  were,  and  probably  uncon 
scious  that  his  thoughts  had  found  utterance, 
"  marvelous  tricks  our  truant  fancy  plays  us, — 
but — tush! — I  am  outdone  with  weariness  and 
watching,  and  my  mind  wanders." 

He  stood  up,  and  drew  his  hand  across  his  fore 
head,  as  if  to  pluck  aside  some  cloud  which  veiled 


A    TALE    OF    FLORIDA. 


37 


his  mental  eyesight— then  seizing  a  tall  flagon  of 
champagne,  he  untwisted  the  wire  which  secured 
the  cork,  decanted  one  half  of  its  generous  and 
foamy  liquor  into  a  mighty  glass  of  Venice  crys 
tal,  quaffed  it  off  at  a  single  draught,  and  re 
placed  the  goblet.  Then,  as  if  conquering  his 
deeply  seated  loathing,  he  applied  himself  to  carve 
the  capon,  placed  a  few  morsels  on  his  platter, 
and  forced  himself  to  swallow  a  mere  mouthful. 
But  it  was  all  in  vain !  Again  he  had  recourse  to 
the  rich  wine  ;  and  after  drinking  it,  fell  back  into 
his  chair,  and  as  before  mused  deeply ;  dark  frown 
ing  shadows  stealing  across  his  broad  fair  brow, 
and  strange  emotions  curling  his  lip  at  times  with 
a  fierce  sneering  spasm — anon  these  gloomy  signs 
passed  over,  and  were  succeeded  by  a  severe 
though  sad  expression  :  as  if  some  tender  melan 
choly  recollection  had  swept  over  the  unfolded 
tablets  of  his  soul,  and  erased  for  the  moment 
thence  each  darker  stain  of  sin  or  worldly  sorrow. 
"  '  Tis  strange,"  he  said,  again,  after  a  long 
deep  pause,  "  'tis  passing  strange,  how  at  this 
time  the  images  of  by-gone  scenes,  aye,  to  the 
very  verdure  of  the  trees,  and  shadows  thrown  by 
the  yellow  sunbeams  athwart  the  laughing  land 
scape,  array  themselves  before  mine  eyes,  in  pal 
pable  distinctness.  Yet  was  there  no  link — no 
chain  in  the  tenor  of  my  tkought  to  join  these 
visions  of  the  past,  with  the  utility  of  the  stern 
present.  Strange,  they  are  very  strange  indeed, 
these  pranks  of  the  imagination !  Those  boyish 
reminiscences  were  clear  upon  my  spirit,  as  the 
events  of  yesterday — every  word  that  I  spoke 
myself,  every  tone  that  I  marked  of  others — and 
thou,  thou  too,  my  sister !  The  ancient  village 
church — the  quiet  and  sequestered  pew  in  the 
shadowy  corner — the  sunbeams  full  of  clusty 
notes  streaming  in  through  the  oriel  window — the 
humble  devout  congregation — the  old  gray-headed 
curate — aye  !  I  could  hear  the  very  accents  of  his 
sonorous  voice,  could  mark  the  hum  of  the  re 
sponses,  could  hear  the  lisping  trill  of  thy  small 
girlish  treble — my  sister — my  lost  sister  ! — as  we 
did  kneel  together  on  the  bright  Sabbath  mornings 
— as  we  did  kneel — and  pray! — pray — pray,"  he 
muttered,  as  though  the  sense  of  the  word  had 
escaped  his  understanding ;  then  struck  his  fore 
head  heavily  with  his  expanded  palm,  "  and  now !" 
he  said,  "  and  now !  Well — well  it  is  no  matter !"  I 
and,  rallying  by  a  violent  effort  his  scattered  i 
senses,  he  quaffed  off  a  third  goblet  of  champagne,  I 
and  moving  with  a  rapid  and  firm  step  toward  the  j 


starboard   state   room  of  his    cabin,    seemed   as 


though  on  the  point  of  opening  the  door ;  but  just 
as  his  hand  touched  the  latch  he  paused,  for  the  I 
low  sound  of  regular  calm  breathing  fell  on  his  ' 
ear.  "  Ay ! — ay!"  he  said,  "  ay — I  had  forgotten !"  i 

3 


He  turned  away,  and  entering  the  alcove  be 
tween  the  two  small  chambers,  looked  long  and 
with  a  fervent  and  excited  gaze  upon  the  lovely 
picture  which  hung  there,  with  that  serene  and 
innocent  smile  which,  like  a  seraph's  voice,  seemed 
to  pour  something  of  consolatory  hope  into  the 
bosom — worn  as  it  was  and  blighted,  and  filled  at 
that  very  instant  by  turbulent  and  fiery  conflict 
between  good  thoughts  and  evil,  of  him  who  gazed 
on  it  so  fixedly. 

His  eye,  as  he  withdrew  it  from  the  picture, 
fell  on  the  crucifix  of  gold,  which  stood  upon  the 
little  table  under  it — and,  moved  as  he  was  by  a 
strange  and  long  unfelt  revulsion,  he  knelt  down 
before  it,  and  burying  his  head  in  his  clasped 
hands,  burst  at  once  into  a  flood  of  wild  hys 
terical  weeping. 

"  I  know  not,"  he  said  thoughtfully,  as  he  arose, 
"  I  know  not — would  God  that  I  did!  Cunning- 
hame,  now,  would  term  this  nought  but  a  heated 
mind  working  upon  a  wearied  body — but  no  !  no  ! 
I  know  it  not — it  is  not  so  !  Why  do  I  doubt  ?  / 
who  have  never  doubted,  or  pity,  whose  revenge 
has  had  no  check  or  stay  of  mercy !  Whence, 
whence  these  retrospections  to  the  long,  long-for 
gotten  past  ? — these  journeyings  backward  of  the 
soul  to  pure  and  innocent  days  ?  Whence  this  in 
satiable  and  longing  wish  for  rest — for  rest — for 
something  stiller  than  mere  repose — sounder  than 
earthly  sleep — more  peaceful  than  tranquillity  it 
self?  Wherefore  this  loathing  of  hot  action,  for 
which  till  now  I  have  alone  existed  ?  Is  it  that 
coming  death  is  even  now  spreading  above  me  the 
shadow — the  prophetic  gloom  of  his  approach  ?  Is 
it,  that  now  but  one  deed  more  rests  to  be  done, 
until  my  great  revenge  shall  be  completed,  and  I 
may  lay  me  down,  my  last  toil  ended,  and  sleep — 
sleep  dreamlessly — soundly — and  forever ! — and 
yet  that  one  deed  ? — that  one  deed  ? — no !  no  !  no  ! 
Great  God,  it  cannot  be — and  still — my  oath ! — 
why — why — doth  she  look  like  my  sister  ?  Well ! 
Well ! — to-morrow  will  be  time  enough !  to-mor 
row  !" 

Still  gazing  thoughtfully  about  him,  and  walking 
to  and  fro  with  his  right  hand  firmly  pressed  upon 
his  forehead,  and  his  left  hanging  down  by  his  side 
tightly  clenched  and  quivering,  he  mused  a  little 
longer — then  locking  the  outer  door  of  his  cabin, 
he  turned  into  his  state-room ;  and  without  alter 
ing  his  dress,  or  drawing  off  his  buskins,  wrapped 
his  watch-cloak  about  him,  and  threw  himself  on 
his  cot ;  where  motionless  and  seeming  in  tranquil 
sleep  he  lay,  till  the  morning  sun  shone  broad  and 
bright  into  the  stern  windows,  pouring  a  flood  of 
golden  light  upon  the  cold  stern  features  which 
felt  not,  nor  acknowledged  the  genial  warmth  of 
its  young  lustre. 


38 


RINGWOOD    THE    ROVER, 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

The  strong  beams  of  the  morning  sun,  pouring 
a  flood  of  emerald-tinted  lustre,  caught  from  the 
leafy  arches  through  which  they  made  their  way, 
into  the  stern  lights  of  the  Rover's  cabin,  aroused 
him  from  his  troubled  slumbers.  He  rose  up  on 
the  instant  in  perfect  possession  of  all  his  senses, 
drew  his  hand  once  or  twice  across  his  fine  broad 
brow,  as  if  to  wipe  away  some  thought  that  had 
sat  heavy  there  during  the  hours  of  sleep,  and 
then  plunged  his  whole  head  into  an  ewer  of  cold 
water,  to  cool  its  feverish  throbbing.  This  done, 
and  his  disordered  dress  arranged  with  somewhat 
finical  nicety,  he  hastened  to  the  deck  of  his  galley, 
where  his  presence  was  hailed  with  a  shout  of 
enthusiastic  rapture  by  the  assembled  crew. 

The  scene  was  widely  altered  since  the  preced 
ing  sunset ;  for  now  the  pirate  squadron  lay  calmly 
floating  in  a  small  wood-girt  basin,  so  exquisitely 
clear  and  glassy,  that  every  line  and  moulding  of 
the  vessels,  every  small  rope  and  fluttering  pen 
nant,  was  drawn  to  the  very  life  on  the  dark  mir 
ror  of  the  still  deep  waters ;  and  it  might  well 
have  tasked  the  strongest  vision  to  define  the  ex 
act  place  where  the  substance  and  the  shadow  met, 
so  wonderfully  were  they  blended. 

At  first  sight  it  appeared  that  this  small  pool 
or  lakelet,  which  was  so  nearly  circular  that  it 
might  have  been  fancied  artificial,  and  in  no  direc 
tion  was  it  a  quarter  of  a  mile  across,  although  so 
marvelously  deep  that  the  deepest  sealine  had 
never  yet  found  bottom,  though  run  out  to  five 
hundred  fathoms,  was  altogether  landlocked,  and 
had  no  outlet  for  its  brimming  waters ;  for  it  was 
hedged  around  on  every  side  but  one,  by  the  dense 
brakes  and  ever-living  umbrage  of  the  tropical 
forest,  and  there  the  shore  sloped  gently  upward 
in  a  rich  turfy  lawn  of  the  tenderest  verdure.  On 

learer  inspection,  however,  it  was  not  difficult 

detect  the  spot,  by  the  opening  in  the  tree-tops, 
where  rushed  from  that  secluded  spring  the  pow 
erful  and  abundant  stream,  which  boiled  up  from 
the  bowels  of  the  earth,  here  at  its  very  birth  a 
river;  although  it  made  so  short  a  turn  imme 
diately  on  quitting  the  parent  basin,  that  no  part 
of  its  course  was  visible.  Immediately  on  the 
water's  edge,  where  the  smooth  lawn  sloped  up 
ward,  forming  a  gentle  hillock,  a  long  green  mound 
of  short  close  greensward,  cut  into  many  an  angu 
lar  zigzag,  many  a  crescent,  and  wedged  ravelin, 
and  a  butting  at  either  extremity  on  a  small  half- 
moon  bastion  of  wrought  stone,  presented  a  terrible 
array  of  batteries  mounted  with  above  a  hundred 
black-mouthed  cannon,  grinning  defiance  to  any 
bold  invader,  who  should  penetrate  so  deeply  into 
the  Rover's  haunts,  as  to  reach  this  his  inmost 


hold,  many  a  mile  aloof  from  the  blue  billows  of 
the  Mexican  Gulf.  From  either  bastion  there  was 
drawn  a  line  of  powerful  stoccadoes  facing  an 
eastern  rampart  with  many  salient  angles,  running 
entirely  round  the  hillock  between  its  grassy  es 
planade  and  the  deep  masses  of  the  forest  which 
surrounded  it ;  and  a  broad  ditch  cut  with  vast  la 
bor  through  the  swampy  soil,  and  lined  with 
square  hewn  timber  completely  isolated  the  posi 
tion,  which  had  been  chosen  with  so  much  skill, 
and  fortified  so  masterly  by  the  directions  of  the 
great  English  Rover.  The  space  within  the  lines, 
which  might  have  formed  an  area  of  a  mile's  cir 
cuit, contained  many  long  wooden  buildings,  erected 
at  right  angles  to  each  other,  with  wide  verandahs 
and  long  porticoes,  all  clustered  round  the  base  of 
the  hill ;  presenting  a  picturesque  and  gay  appear 
ance  ;  for  they  were  painted  tastefully  enough 
with  white  and  green,  in  broad  contrasting  stripes, 
like  some  of  the  modern  Italian  villas,  and  all  the 
verandahs  were  furnished  with  curtained  awnings 
of  the  most  sumptuous  and  magnificent  materials, 
velvets  and  rich  brocades,  and  gold  and  silver  tis 
sues,  more  like  the  fanciful  pavilions  of  some 
fairy  palace,  than  the  adornments  of  a  piratical 
stronghold. 

Around  the  crest  of  the  little  hill,  commanding 
the  whole  area,  and  forming  evidently  the  citadel 
of  the  position,  a  triple  line  of  earthen  ramparts, 
with  deep  dry  ditches,  crowned  with  chevaux  de 
frise,  and  mounted  with  long  culverins,  guarded 
the  scarped  ascent,  and  encircled  a  large  keep  or 
block-house,  which  occupied  the  summit  of  the 
knoll — the  Rover's  palace-castle. 

Such  was  the  scene  which  lay  brightly  illumi 
nated  by  the  low  morning  sunbeams,  but  check 
ered  here  and  there  with  cool  blue  shadows,  cast 
by  the  forest  trees  and  grotesque  buildings  over 
the  emerald  lawn,  under  the  eyes  of  Ringwood. 

But  though  he  was  no  mean  judge,  nor  careless 
observer  of  the  wild  charms  of  nature,  he  had 
gazed  too  often  on  that  strange  and  lovely  pros 
pect,  to  give  at  this  time  more  than  a  passing 
glance  to  its  attractions — besides,  the  moment  had 
its  duties.  There  was  of  course  no  anchorage  in 
that  unfathomed  gulf,  whereon  the  low  and  rakish 
picaroons  floated  so  calmly ;  they  were  moored, 
therefore,  in  shore,  for  the  banks  were  all  abrupt 
and  molden,  by  hooks  and  grapnels  ;  Ringwood's 
felucca,  as  the  largest,  lying  the  farthest  from  the 
batteries,  and  covering  the  outlet  of  the  river  with 
her  broadside.  The  other  barks  wrere  anchored 
to  the  shore  at  various  points,  so  as  to  concentrate 
their  fire  on  the  same  spot  much  farther  up  the 
basin  and  under  the  very  guns  of  the  fort,  the 
smallest  of  the  squadron  lying  directly  in  front  of 
the  water  gate,  and  covered  by  the  eastern  bastion. 


A    TALE    OF    FLORIDA. 


The  crews,  it  would  appear,  of  all  the  rest,  had 
already  landed ;  for  with  the  exception  of  a  single 
sentinel  on  the  forecastle  of  each,  not  a  soul  was 
to  be  seen  on  board ;  while,  dotting  everywhere 
the  verdant  area  of  the  fort,  some  lounging  idly 
in  the  cool  shadows  of  the  curtained  porticoes, 
some  walking  to  and  fro  in  little  groups  and  par 
ties,  some  dallying  with  gaily  dressed,  light-man 
nered  girls,  two  or  three  hundred  of  the  buccaneers 
were  visible;  while  from  within  the  dwellings, 
loud  bursts  of  revelry,  mingled  with  the  sweet 
laughter,  and  half  sportive  shrieks  of  women,  and 
now  and  then  a  gay  licentious  song,  or  the  tink 
ling  of  a  lute,  betokened  the  presence  of  many 
more  inhabitants  than  met  the  gazer's  eye. 

':Ha!  Anson,"  exclaimed  Ringwood,  address 
ing  one  of  his  subordinate  officers  with  a  smile, 
"  I  have  played  something  overmuch  the  sluggard; 
and  these  good  fellows  are,  I  warrant  me,  fretting 
to  be  ashore  among  the  bona  robas  yonder.  So  to 
it,  sir,  at  once  :  hoist  all  the  boats  out  presently, 
except  my  private  pinnace,  and  have  the  people 
landed.  Keep  the  barge  to  the  last ;  I  will  ashore 
in  it  myself." 

A  louder  acclamation  than  that  even  which  had 
greeted  the  appearance  of  the  rover  on  his  deck, 
now  burst  forth  from  the  merry  crew  as  they 
rushed  with  tumultuous  hurry  to  their  quarters, 
eagerly  urging  their  light  duty,  and  hoisting  out 
the  boats  with  many  a  jovial  cheer  and  hasty 
halloa !  For  a  few  minutes  the  great  buccaneer 
stood  looking  on  in  silence,  till  the  last  boat  had 
pushed  off  with  its  noisy  freight,  leaving  the 
barge's  crew  alone,  waiting  for  their  superiors, 
who  were  grouped  on  the  forecastle ;  and  the  small 
private  pinnace  swinging  beneath  the  stern-lights 
of  the  cabin.  Then,  motioning  his  officers  to  wait 
for  his  return,  he  descended  the  companion-stair, 
and  once  more  entered  his  own  cabin. 

"Pluto!"  he  cried— "Ho!  Pluto!"  as  he  en 
tered  ;  and  as  the  negro  sentinel  thrust  in  his  tur- 
baned  head,  at  the  half-opened  door — "jump  up 
on  deck,  and  clear  away  my  pinnace;  bring  it 
round  to  the  starboard  gangway,  and  after  we 
shall  have  left  the  ship — I  and  the  gentlemen — do 
thou  and  Charon  lead  down  the  lady  there,  and 
the  black  lass,  and  row  them  straight  to  the  sally 
port,  entering  the  covered  way :  I  will  be  there 
to  meet  ye ;  and  hark,  sirrah,  in  your  ear — do 
thou,  or  thy  swart  comrade,  but  once  look  lust 
fully  upon  their  beauties,  and  thou  shalt  wish  thy 
self  dead  fifty  times,  ere  death  shall  end  thy  tor 
tures.  See  to  it,  and  begone ;"  then,  as  the  negroes 
hurried  forth  to  execute  his  orders,  "  Teresa!"  he 
called  aloud — "  come  forth,  Teresa."  There  was 
a  pause  of  a  few  minutes,  interrupted  only  by  a 
slight  rustling  sound  as  if  of  female  garments,  from 


the  state-room;  but  no  one  answered  any  thing: 
nor  did  she,  when  he  called,  come  forth.  "  What, 
ho!"  he  cried  again:  "come  forth,  come  forth. 
Teresa !  or  by  the  Lord  that  lives,  you  shall  re 
pent  it.  Best  not  provoke  me,  beauty." 

As  he  spoke  the  door  opened,  and  the  sweet  girl 
came  forth,  somewhat  refreshed,  indeed,  by  sleep, 
but  with  her  clear  and  luminous  skin  still  pale  as 
alabaster ;  so  that  her  large  dark  eye,  contrasted 
with  the  singular  whiteness  of  her  face,  showed 
almost  super  naturally  full  and  lustrous.  Her  hair 
had  been  arranged  in  neat  broad  plaits,  wound 
simply  round  the  classic  contour  of  her  head ;  and 
over  her  high  brow  a  single  heavy  curl  falling 
down  with  a  massive  sweep  behind  each  delicate 
ear ;  but  her  neck,  and  the  first  gentle  swell  of 
her  young  bosom,  were  all  bare,  and  her  round 
dimpled  arms  uncovered  to  the  shoulders;  yet, 
even  in  her  disarray,  there  was  so  true  a  dignity 
in  every  motion,  so  rigid  and  severe  a  modesty  in 
the  chaste,  sorrowful  eye,  so  perfect  an  air  of  un 
consciousness  of  aught  unseemly — although,  ir> 
deed,  she  was  most  conscious — that  the  most  hard 
ened  debauchee  could  no  more  have  found  matter 
for  voluptuous  thoughts  there,  than  in  the  cold, 
denuded  limbs  of  marble  saint  or  angel. 

"  I  come,"  she  answered,  her  words  flowing 
out  in  a  calm,  passionless,  and  even  strain,  as 
though  her  very  fears  were  dead.  "  I  come,  obe 
dient  to  your  call,  so  to  eschew  worse  outrage. 
I  come ;  what  would  you  ?" 

"  Sweet  lady,"  replied  Ringwood,  with  a  half- 
meaning  courtesy  of  accent,  "  sweet,  innocent 
lady,  that  you  prepare  you  straightway  to  take 
boat,  in  charge  of  my  stanch  guardsmen,  and  so 
to  my  poor  dwelling :  there  I  will  see  you  pre 
sently.  Meantime,  in  yonder  state-room  are  store 
of  velvet  mantles ;  take  one  of  them,  I  pray  you, 
and  wrap  you  closely  in  its  folds ;  and  'twere  no 
evil  done,  if  you  should  cast  a  silken  kerchief  in 
lieu  of  veil,  over  those  lovely  lineaments.  I 
would  not  give  your  charms  to  the  brute  gaze  of 
the  rude  sailors." 

"Wherefore,  kind  sir,  and  most  considerate," 
she  said,  a  slight  flush  rising  to  her  pallid  cheek, 
"or  to  what  purpose  would  you  veil,  to-day,  me, 
whom,  but  two  days  ago,  you  did  display  in  so 
unwomanly  disarray  to  the  same  eyes  from  which 
you  now  would  hide  me  ?  perchance  from  motives 
not  pure  and  disinterested?" 

"  Simply,"  returned  the  Rover,  in  a  cold,  reso 
lute  voice,  "  simply,  for  that  it  is  the  will !  and 
have  a  care — have  thou  a  care,  Teresa,  provoke 
me  not  too  far — I  say  provoke  me  not !  It  were 
as  easy,  every  whit,  to  me,  to  strip  your  charms 
to  the  broad  day,  and  so  parade  you  to  the  gaping 
wonder  of  those  brute  mariners,  as  to  say  '  veil 


40 


RINGWOOD    THE    ROVER. 


your  beauties !'  By  God !"  he  added,  lashing  him 
self  into  fury  as  he  proceeded,  "  by  God !  it  were 
as  easy  to  cast  you  forth  a  booty  to  the  untamed 
licentiousness  of  those  who  know  no  mercy — as 
thus " 

"  As  thus,  from  selfish  passion !"  she  interrupted 
him,  "  thus  to  reserve  me  for  the  more  foul  dis 
honor  of  your  own  private  pleasures  !" 

"  Of  my  own  private  pleasures  !"  he  repeated, 
mimicking  the  very  tones  of  her  voice — "of  my 
own  private  pleasures !  right  daintily  worded  that, 
dear  lady,  and  very  true  withal.  My  own  most 
private  pleasures,  of  which,  believe  me,  sweet 
one,  you  soon  shall  be  the  most  choice  minister, 
and  the  well-pleased  partaker — and  now  to  punish 
you  for  this,  your  insolence,  and  teach  you  wis 
dom  for  the  future !" 

And  with  the  words,  he  made  one  quick  step 
forward,  and  throwing  both  his  arms  round  her 
fair  form,  one  encircling  her  lovely  shoulders  and 
swan-like  neck,  the  other  twining  with  irresistible 
pressure  her  slight  rounded  waist,  he  clasped  her 
to  him  in  a  close  embrace,  kissing  her  lips,  and 
sucking  her  sweet  breath,  till  she  had  well  nigh 
fainted  in  his  arms.  She  did  not  shriek,  nor 
struggle — no  more  could  she  have  struggled  within 
the  overpowering  grasp  of  that  gigantic  frame, 
than  could  the  linnet  strive  against  the  talons  of 
the  ger-falcon.  She  did  not  shriek :  for  there 
was  none  to  hear  :  much  less  to  aid,  or  rescue  her. 
But  yet  she  yielded  not,  one  jot — much  less  re 
sponded  to  his  passionate  caress — but  stood  within 
his  circling  arms,  cold,  rigid,  stern,  impassive  as 
a  wrought  shape  of  bronze  or  marble — not  a  pulse 
in  her  body  bounded  beyond  its  usual  motion  :  not 
a  quicker  throb  of  her  bosom  answered  to  the  hot 
beatings  of  his  heart — not  a  pant  was  on  her 
breath,  not  a  cloud  on  her  clear  steady  eye,  not  a 
dew  drop  on  her  honeyed  lip — but  when  he  again 
released  her  from  his  arms,  a  faint  brief  color 
stole  over  her  cheeks  and  brow,  and,  when  it  re 
ceded,  left  her  even  paler  than  before — and  a  quick 
shudder  shook  her  limbs  for  a  moment. 

"Thus  deal  I  with  the  stubborn,"  said  Ring- 
wood,  as  he  let  her  go,  "  thus  deal  I  with  the  in 
solent  and  stubborn !  see,  if  you  like  it  not,  that 
you  offend  not  in  like  sort  again  !  and  now,  do  as 
I  bid  you,  and  make  ready!" 

As  he  spoke,  he  turned  on  his  heel,  and  leaving 
the  cabin,  rejoined  his  subordinates  on  deck,  and 
shortly  after  going  down  into  the  barge  threw 
himself  at  his  full  length  on  the  cushions  in  the 
stern  sheets,  and  was  pulled  to  shore  as  rapidly  as 
twenty  vigorous  seamen  could  ply  their  oars  in 
that  calm  basin.  While  she,  deserted  by  the  calm 
resolution  which  had  borne  her  up  while  in  the 
presence  of  her  persecutor,  and  which  a  eecret 


instinct  rightly  taught  her  to  be  the  only  weapon 
with  which  she  could  successfully  oppose  his  force 
ful  violence,  burst  instantly  into  a  wild  agony  of 
tears  and  sobbing,  and  falling  to  the  ground,  con 
tinued  in  a  series  of  fainting  fits  and  swoons,  until 
the  terrified  Cassandra,  who  had  been  twice  al 
ready  summoned  by  the  negroes,  brought  her  back 
to  her  senses,  by  her  half  frantic  entreaties,  that 
she  would  arise  and  obey  the  orders  of  the  Pirate, 
if  she  would  save  her  life  or  honor.  Then  she 
aroused  herself  at  once,  as  soon  as  she  became 
conscious  of  her  handmaid's  meaning  ;  and  casting 
one  of  the  velvet  cloaks  around  her,  by  a  strong 
effort  gulped  down  the  whole  of  her  hysterical 
passion,  wiped  away  the  traces  of  her  tears,  and 
followed  the  tall  negro  to  the  pinnace  wherein  his 
fellow  was  already  seated  at  the  oar. 

No  princess  of  old  Spain  could  have  been  treat 
ed  with  more  ample  courtesy,  more  deep  respect 
by  the  most  stately  cavalier  of  her  proud  court, 
than  was  Teresa  treated  by  the  two  pirate  blacks. 
Not  a  glance  of  their  bright  eyes  rested  upon  her 
features  for  a  moment,  not  a  word  was  spoken, 
but  such  as  were  of  absolute  necessity  ;  and,  when 
she  had  taken  her  seat  in  the  stern  of  the  little 
boat  with  the  black  girl  crouching  as  usual  at  her 
feet,  the  men  took  to  their  oars,  and  pulled  as  fast 
as  they  were  able,  in  perfect  silence,  toward  the 
sally-port  at  the  base  of  the  western  bastion,  upon 
the  battlements  of  which,  the  stately  figure  of  the 
great  buccaneer  was  already  visible,  as  he  awaited 
the  arrival  of  his  captive. 

As  the  boat  neared  the  port,  however,  he  de 
scended  from  his  lofty  stand ;  and  as  the  keel 
grated  upon  the  pebbly  marge,  the  portcullis  rose, 
the  gate  flew  open,  and  displayed  him  standing 
within  the  low  browed  arch,  a  third  negro,  of 
similar  dimensions  to  those  who  were  assisting 
the  girls  from  the  boat,  holding  a  flambeau  at  his 
side. 

They  had  not  entered  one  second's  space,  before 
the  iron  grating  was  again  lowered,  and  the  heavy 
gate  swung  back,  leaving  the  boatman  on  the  outer 
side,  and  Teresa  found  herself  in  a  low  narrow 
vaulted  passage  stretching  away  into  interminable 
darkness,  though  continually  ascending  by  flights 
of  broad  flat  steps,  as  if  toward  the  daylight ;  but 
little  being  rendered  visible  by  the  smoky  torch  of 
the  negro  who  preceded  them  in  silence,  except 
the  key-stones  of  the  rude  arch  overhead,  and  the 
mildewed  walls  on  the  right  hand  and  left. 

"  Take  my  arm,  girl,"  exclaimed  Ringwood, 
"  and  lean  on  it ! — mind  what  I  say  to  you,  and 
forget  not  the  lesson  I  was  compelled  to  teach  you, 
even  now ;  which,  by  the  heaven  above  us !  shall 
be  as  nothing  to  that  which  you  shall  learn,  if  you 
be  any  more  refractory!" 


A    TALE    OF    FLORIDA. 


41 


Pale  as  the  winter's  snow,  and  scarce  less  cold, 
she  took  his  proffered  arm,  in  silence  but  untrem- 
bling;  and  she  did  lean  on  him,  for  in  good  truth 
she  was  scarce  able  to  support  herself  even  when 
she  entered;  and  the  dank  mildew  vapors  of  that 
cold  vault,  wherein  the  drops  of  moisture  were 
constantly  detaching  themselves  from  the  roof  and 
plashing  on  the  muddy  earth,  had  yet  more  over 
powered  her,  so  that  full  surely  she  had  lacked 
the  strength  to  drag  her  limbs  along,  had  she  not 
been  supported  by  the  nervous  arm  of  Ringwood, 
to  which  she  clung  with  a  convulsive  gripe  of 
which  she  was  indeed  scarce  conscious. 

After  walking  for  some  distance  through  this 
deep  covered  way,  having  ascended  not  less  than 
a  hundred  steps  at  different  times,  and  in  various 
places — they  reached  a  huge  oak  door  clenched 
with  large  nails,  which  gave  them  access  to  a  tall 
winding  staircase,  carried  up  through  a  shaft  in 
the  earth,  similar  to  a  well,  each  step  being  a 
beam  of  solid  timbers,  hewn  rudely  with  the  axe, 
and  all  unconscious  of  the  adze  or  plane  of  the 
neat-handed  joiner.  After  ascending  this  rugged 
stairway,  they  reached  a  little  vestibule,  above 
the  level  of  the  ground,  the  floor  and  walls  of 
which  were  covered  with  neat  Indian  mattings, 
lighted  by  a  long  shot-hole  or  crenele,  through 
which  a  golden  sunbeam,  full  of  a  million  danc 
ing  motes,  streamed  in,  filling  the  little  space 
with  glorious  light  and  gaiety,  which  seemed  more 
lovely  to  those  who  viewed  it  in  close  contrast  to 
the  swart  darkness  of  the  subterranean  galleries, 
which  they  had  but  jusf  quitted.  From  this  small 
vestibule  a  second  staircase,  wrought  in  the  thick 
ness  of  the  wall,  quickly  conducted  Ringwood  and 
his  fair  captive — close  to  whom  crept,  more  terri 
fied  a  thousand  times  than  her  pale  mistress,  the 
black  slave  girl  Cassandra — to  a  well  lighted  airy 
hall,  overlooking — as  it  was  easy  to  perceive — 
from  the  upper  story  of  the  Rover's  keep,  the 
whole  green  end  of  the  pirate  fortress,  with  the 
gay  dwellings  and  the  glassy  bay,  and  the  beauti 
ful  vessels  moored  in  their  several  berths,  all 
laughing  out  in  the  glad  golden  sunlight,  which 
poured  down  every  where  over  the  wide  spread 
tropical  forests,  and  over  that  small  inland  lake 
let,  from  the  soft  smiling  heavens. 

The  hall  in  which  they  stood,  lighted  by  four 
tall  lattices,  and  looking  down  upon  that  romantic 
view,  was  itself  worthy  of  attention  from  its 
magnificent  and  tasteful  decorations.  The  ceiling 
of  dark  Indian  wood,  from  which  swung  a  vast 
golden  lamp  that  once  had  decked  some  sacred 
edifice,  was  polished  till  it  shone  like  a  mirror  ; 
the  walls,  covered  with  hangings  of  green  velvet, 
were  all  adorned  with  groups  of  glittering  wea 
pons,  disposed  in  rare  and  picturesque  patterns  of 


every  singular  variety  of  form  and  purpose.  Shirts 
of  ringmail.  and  corslets  of  bright  plate,  and 
casques  embossed  with  gold  circular  shields  of 
oriental  fashion,  Damascus  cimiters,  and  Span 
ish  blades,  and  rare  Italian  daggers,  all  glittering 
with  gems  and  flashing  to  the  morning  sun.  The 
floor  was  carpeted  with  velvet,  and  a  divan  of  the 
same  rich  material,  corded  and  laced  with  gold, 
ran  round  the  walls  of  the  apartment ;  while  on  a 
massive  table  was  spread  a  sumptuous  collation, 
with  many  flagons  of  rich  wine,  and  tall  Venetian 
glasses,  among  rich  meats  and  vases  full  of  the 
dewy  flowers  of  that  rare  southern  clime.  There 
were  no  tenants  to  this  splendid  hall,  but  from  a 
door  that  faced  the  staircase,  which  had  been  par 
tially  left  open,  there  came  the  mingled  sounds  of 
more  than  one  sweet  low  toned  female  voice ;  and 
once  or  twice  a  long  soft  thrilling  laugh,  that 
seemed  to  speak  a  heart  at  ease  and  happy.  These 
sounds  were  followed,  just  as  the  Rover  led  his 
prisoner  into  that  noble  hall,  by  a  light  air  touch 
ed  exquisitely  on  a  lute,  and  accompanied  by  fc 
rich  clear  melodious  voice  of  a  girl  singing.  Her 
execution  was  admirable — her  tones  thrilled  to 
the  very  heart  like  liquid  fire — but  alas  !  the  song 
was  so  passionately,  painfully  voluptuous,  that  it 
could  have  flowed  from  no  modest  lips,  and  should 
have  been  listened  to  by  no  modest  ears.  Pierced 
to  the  soul,  Teresa  faltered,  and  stood  still — but 
Ringwood  with  a  strong  pressure  of  her  arm,  and 
a  stern  whisper  of  his  deep  penetrating  voice,  say 
ing,  "  Beware  !  I  say,  beware,  Teresa,"  half  led, 
half  bore  her  onward  to  the  door  whence  came 
those  hateful  sounds.  He  threw  it  open,  ai\d  the 
sight  she  saw,  struck  that  unhappy  girl, — more 
than  the  most  dreadful  of  the  dread  scenes  she 
had  already  witnessed — with  agony  and  terror  and 
despair. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

The  room  to  which  Teresa  was  thus  unwilling 
ly  introduced,  was  of  dimensions  somewhat 
smaller  than  the  hall  or  armory  on  which  it  open 
ed,  but  far  more  graceful  and  luxurious  in  its  de 
corations.  Its  casements,  although  high  and  spa 
cious,  and  admirably  calculated  to  admit  every 
breath  of  air  that  might  be  stirring,  were  com 
pletely  closed  against  the  garish  light  by  deep 
Italian  awnings  of  peach  colored  damask,  striped 
with  broad  silver  arabesques,  through  which  the 
rays  stole  softly,  mellowed  to  the  same  tender 
hue.  The  walls  were  hung  with  Genoa  velvet 
of  the  same  delicate  color,  divided  into  panels 
by  rich  frames  of  Venetian  fillagree  in  silver — 


42 


R1NGWOOD    THE    ROVER, 


the  very  floor  was  strewn  with  carpets  of  the 
same  material — mirrors  were  every  where  in 
bright  profusion,  curtained  with  gauzy  veils  of 
the  faintest  pink — couches  and  ottomans  of  down, 
with  covers  of  soft  silk — tables  and  cabinets  of 
marquetry  and  buhl  completed  the  furniture  of 
this  voluptuous  bower,  the  very  atmosphere  of 
which  like  the  haunts,  fabled  by  Grecian  bards, 
of  that  Cytherean  goddess,  reeked  by  the  per 
fumes  redolent  of  love.  But  if  the  chamber  and 
its  decorations  were  in  themselves  luxurious  al 
most  beyond  description,  what  words  can  paint 
the  charms  almost  unearthly,  the  Aphrodisian  air, 
the  prodigal  voluptuousness  of  its  inmates  ?  They 
were  but  three  in  number — three  young  and 
splendid  girls,  all  in  the  very  flower  and  flush  of 
young  ripe  womanhood — all  beautiful — but  oh  ! 
how  different  in  their  beauty. 

The  first — she  it  was  •  whose  rich  clear  voice 
had  reached  Teresa's  ear  before  she  entered — 
was  a  rare  specimen  of  that  peculiar  style  of 
English  loveliness,  which,  save  to  the  voluptuary, 
is  rendered  far  less  lovely  by  the  predominance 
in  all  its  traits  essential  to  intellectual  thought — 
and  yet  she  was  indeed  most  beautiful.  Her  fore 
head,  though  rather  low  than  otherwise,  was 
whiter  than  the  virgin  snow-wreath,  before  the 
soft  west  wind  has  thawed  its  dazzling  purity, 
and  smooth  as  it  was  white — her  delicately  pen 
ciled  brows  o'er-arched  a  pair  of  large  soft  eyes 
swimming  in  liquid  light — her  nose  was  delicate 
and  small,  her  lips  of  the  richest  crimson,  woo- 
ingly  prominent,  disclosed  a  set  of  teeth  so  pearly 
and  transparent  in  their  lustre,  that  they  set 
simile  at  naught.  Her  hair,  of  the  lightest  and 
the  most  shining  brown,  was  all  disheveled  as  it 
seemed — but,  in  truth,  trained  most  artfully  to 
fall  and  float  in  a  thousand  wreaths  of  silky  ring 
lets,  over  her  neck  and  shoulders,  and  far  below 
her  waist,  shrouding  her  as  with  a  golden  glory. 
But  exquisite  as  were  her  features,  they  yet  were 
nothing  in  comparison  to  her  unrivaled  symmetry 
of  person — the  plump  and  rounded  neck  wreathed 
to  and  fro  with  many  a  sveanlike  motion,  the  soft 
full  arch  of  her  superbly  falling  shoulders,  the 
swell  of  the  fair  bosom,  even  now  in  her  fresh 
girlhood  luxuriant  and  mature,  with  myriads  of 
fine  azure  veins  meandering  about  its  glowing  sur 
face — the  slender  waist  scarcely  confined  by  the 
slight  silver  zone  which  gathered  in  the  folds  of 
the  white  gauzy  lawn  that  scarcely  veiled  her 
bust,  leaving  her  shoulders  and  round  dimpled 
arms  all  unencumbered  ;  the  wavy  outlines  of  her 
form,  indicated  by  the  fall  of  the  thick  heavy  dra 
pery  of  azure  silk  that  flowed  from  her  waist 
downward,  to  the  earth,  suffering  only  the  ex. 
tremity  of  one  small  foot  decked  with  a  sil 


ver  sandal  to  peep  out  modestly  beneath  the 
hem. 

Such  was  the  foremost  of  the  fair  tenants  of  the 
room,  who  met  the  cold  indignant  eye  of  the 
young  prisoner,  as  she  leaned  negligently  on  a 
pile  of  satin  cushions,  warbling  the  amatory  air 
which  had  so  shocked  Teresa ;  not  that  there  was 
any  touch  of  grossness  or  indecency  in  the  words, 
which,  the  more  fatally  seductive  for  that  very 
want,  breathed  the  full  soul  of  passion  blended 
with  sentiment  and  pathos — but  that  the  singer 
threw  into  every  tone  and  accent  a  manner  so  vo 
luptuous,  an  expression  so  entirely  sensual,  that, 
to  an  ear  not  yet  corrupted  into  sin,  the  effect  was 
painful  and  disgusting. 

The  second  damsel  was  a  tall  slender  Persian, 
with  the  warm  dusky  hue  of  her  country's  com 
plexion  on  her  soft  velvet  skin,  a  faint  rich  flush 
peering  out  upon  either  cheek,  like  the  first  touch 
of  young  Aurora's  pencil  upon  the  waving  night- 
clouds — her  eyes,  fringed  by  long  silky  lashes, 
dark,  deep  and  swimming,  now  melted  into  a 
sleepy  languor,  now  flashed  out  with  intolerable 
lustre — her  hair,  black  as  the  raven's  wing,  was 
twisted  into  a  mass  of  little  spiral  curls,  and 
decked  with  chainwork  ornaments  of  gold,  a  glit 
tering  amulet  all  set  with  sapphires  of  rare  price 
laying  by  either  ear.  Her  dress,  too,  was  no  less 
dissimilar  to  that  of  the  fair  beauty,  than  was  the 
style  of  her  loveliness  ;  yet,  though  no  portion  of 
her  flesh  was  visible,  except  the  face  and  hands 
and  a  small  part  of  the  throat,  it  yet  displayed 
her  person,  scarcely  in  a  Tess  degree  than  did  that 
of  her  companion  which  left  her  bosom,  shoulders 
and  arms  almost  entirely  bare.  She  wore  a  close 
cymar  or  jacket  of  bright  yellow  satin,  all  flow 
ered  with  sprigs  of  gold,  and  buttoned  up  in  front 
with  studs  of  chrysolite ;  below  the  zone,  she  was 
clothed  in  loose  trowsers  of  gold-sprigged  Indian 
muslin,  with  heavy  golden  bangles,  all  hung  with 
glittering  bells,  about  her  ankles,  and  light  gilded 
slippers  on  her  small  shapely  feet.  There  was, 
perhaps,  even  more  of  beauty  in  the  movements, 
in  the  exceeding  grace,  in  the  air,  the  manner  of 
this  oriental  fair  one,  than  in  her  personal  charms, 
as  she  danced  lightly  to  and  fro,  bending  her  slight 
shape  into  many  a  strange  and  graceful  posture, 
waving  her  arms,  whose  every  gesture  was  per 
fection,  and  swaying  all  her  limbs  with  an  exqui 
site  freedom,  her  .golden  bells  chiming  the  while 
in  time  to  the  words  of  the  singer,  and  the  tones 
of  the  lute  or  gittern  which  the  third  girl — a  tall 
black-browed  Italian — was  striking  with  rare 
skill,  uttering  ever  and  anon  one  of  those  low 
toned  happy  laughs,  which  should  have  told  of  an 
innocent  heart  at  ease,  but  which  alas  announced 
no  more  than  heartless  levity.  The  tresses  of  the 


A    TALE   OF    FLORIDA. 


43 


lute  player,  though  black  as  the  bright  Persian's 
ringlets,  were  as  different  from  them  in  their  na 
ture  and  disposition  as  any  things  can  be — even 
the  most  dissimilar — for  they  were  parted  evenly 
upon  her  forehead,  and  flowed  down  quite  uncurl 
ed  in  long  and  wavy  masses,  actually  resting  in 
loose  coils  upon  the  velvet  floor-cloth,  as  she  sat 
near  the  English  girl  on  a  low  ottoman,  with  her 
back  to  a  great  Venetian  mirror,  which  reflected 
the  contour  of  all  her  sloping  shoulders  down 
nearly  to  the  wraist. 

Such  was  the  scene — such  the  companions — to 
which  the  buccaneer  now  introduced  his  captive. 
For  a  moment,  so  soft  were  the  carpets  of  the  ar 
mory,  and  so  light  had  been  the  footsteps  of  the 
new  comers — for  a  moment  the  girls  continued 
their  occupations,  unconscious  that  they  were 
overlooked  by  any  mortal  eye — but  when,  after  a 
meaning  pause  of  a  second's  space,  and  a  threat 
ening  glance  at  Teresa,  Ringwood  advanced  a 
step  or  two,  the  Persian  dancer  raised  her  head 
from  one  of  her  low  bending  attitudes,  and  catch 
ing  sight  of  her  stately  lord,  uttered  a  shrill  cry 
of  surprise,  and  bounded  forward  like  an  antelope 
to  meet  him ;  quick,  however,  as  were  her  move 
ments,  she  was  nevertheless  outstripped  by  the 
fair  beauty,  who,  being  seated  nearer  the  door, 
sprung  up  the  moment  she  head  the  outcry  of  the 
other  and  was  in  the  embrace  of  the  buccaneer 
with  the  speed  of  light,  winding  her  beautiful 
bare  arms  about  his  noble  person,  pressing  her 
panting  bosom  close  to  his  mighty  chest,  and 
pouring  a  flood  of  sweet  burning  kisses  on  his 
brow,  eyes,  and  mouth;  uttering  all  the  time  a 
low  soft  murmur,  all  eloquent  of  eager  passion, 
and  blushing  so  profusely  with  excitement,  that 
all  her  neck  and  bosom,  seen  clearly  through  the 
thin  gauze  of  her  boddice,  were  crimsoned  by  the 
torrent  of  hot  blood,  that  coursed  through  every 
vein  of  her  whole  body  like  streams  of  burning 
lava.  Nor  was  the  pirate  chieftain  slow  or  reluc 
tant  to  return  her  passionate  caress,  but  elapsed 
her  in  a  long  embrace.  After  a  minute,  however, 
he  released  her,  reluctant  as  it  seemed.  And 
there  amid  those  sirens,  as  beautiful  as  either, 
but,  oh !  how  different  in  her  calm,  innocent,  pure 
loveliness,  scarce  conscious  of  her  own  exquisite 
attractions,  and  all  unsunned  by  any  tinge  of  noon 
day  passion,  from  their  unmaidenly  beauty,  which 
actually  pained  the  feelings  though  it  might  fit 
the  eye  and  rivet  the  mere  senses  of  the  beholder, 
stood  the  sad  Spanish  maiden.  At  first  she  gazed 
in  mute  astonishment,  unable  to  conceive  the  possi 
bility  of  aught  so  boldly  passionate,  as  the  blonde 
beauty's  rapture — but  gradually,  as  she  felt  her 
own  heart  bound  too  fiercely  in  her  bosom,  and 
her  own  pulses  throb,  she  knew  not  wherefore ; 


she  let  her  eyes  sink  to  the  carpet,  and  stood  all 
breathless  and  dismay,  blushes  and  paleness  chas 
ing  each  other  over  her  speaking  lineaments,  like 
the  alternate  lights  and  shadows,  which  sweep  in 
autumn  days  over  some  lovely  landscape.  The 
slave-girl  all  the  time  gazed  with  dilated  eyes 
that  seemed  to  drink  in  all  that  passed  before 
them — without,  however,  comprehending  any 
thing  ;  clinging  with  one  hand  to  the  velvet  cloak 
which  partly  shrouded  the  form  of  her  pale  mis 
tress,  and  trembling  wildly  between  fear  and  ad 
miration. 

When  tlus  strange  scene  had  ended,  Ringwood 
turned  toward  his  prisoner,  and  taking  her  by  the 
hand  said,  while  a  cold  convulsive  shudder  shook 
her  whole  form — 

"These  lovely  girls,  Teresa,  shall  be  your  fu 
ture  comrades — this  bower  of  bliss  shall  be  your 
dwelling.  Pleasure  shall  wait  your  very  wish ; 
luxury,  such  as  no  human  heart  has  ever  dreamed 
of,  shall  lull  you  to  your  slumbers ;  not  an  air  of 
heaven  shall  visit  your  brow  too  roughly ;  and 
your  whole  life  shall  glide  away  like  one  soft 
dream  of  rapture.  Bella,  my  fair-haired  beauty, 
welcome  your  new  companion,  choose  her  a  bou 
doir  near  your  own — fit  her  with  garments  such 
as  your  own  rare  taste  may  choose,  and  her  rare 
beauty  justify,  and  above  all,"  he  added,  lower 
ing  his  voice  to  a  tender  whisper,  "be  not  thou 
jealous,  rare  one ;  for  if  I  seek  to  win  her  to  my 
will,  it  is  not  any  thing  for  love,  but  all  for  ven 
geance  !  and  now,  farewell,  sweet  sirens  all,"  he 
added,  speaking  once  more  aloud,  "and  let  me 
find  you,  my  Teresa,  happy  as  these  fair  crea 
tures  when  I  revisit  you  to-morrow." 

"Oh  no !"  she  cried,  in  vehement  impetuous 
tones,  that  would  not  brook  control  even  of  rea 
son,  "oh  no!  no!  no!  Leave  me  not  here, 
leave  me  not  here,  with  these  !  No,  better,  better 
far  to  languish  in  the  deepest  dungeon ;  to  wrrithe 
in  untold  agonies ;  to  share  the  slenderest  pittance 
of  the  most  wretched  innocent  slave,  than  live  in 
plenty  thus,  with  wanton  guilt,  and  barefaced  in 
famy  for  comrades  !  Slay  me,  then,  slay  me  with 
agonies  protracted,  as  you  will,  cast  me  forth  to 
the  beasts  of  the  forest,  tear  my  limbs  joint  from 
joint,  but  leave  me  not  with  these." 

"  Teresa,"  he  said,  speaking  in  a  low  but  dis 
tinct  voice,  with  fearful  emphasis,  "Teresa,  I 
have  sworn,  and  you  well  know  how  deeply,  and 
with  how  deep  a  cause  !  Now  mark  me,  one  thing 
I  have  remitted  to  you,  in  one  thing  have  I  par 
doned  ;  tempt  me  no  farther,  I  beseech  you." 

"O,  slay  me!  slay  me,  rather" — she  frantic 
ally  interrupted  him. 

"  I  will,"  said  he,  "I  will,  by  heaven  !  if  you 
say  any  more  about  it ;  but  not  as  you  suppose — 


44 


RINGWOOD    THE    ROVER, 


I  will,  Teresa,  I  will  cast  you  forth  if  you  pro 
voke  me  any  farther ;  but  not  to  the  wild  beasts 
of  the  forest!  By  Him  that  lives!  tigers  and 
sharks  are  merciful  compared  with  those  to  whom 
I  will  abandon  you !  Hark  to  that  shout  of  re 
velry  and  riot!  they  shall  enjoy  the  charms, 
which  you  would  keep  so  charily  !  in  the  rack  of 
their  barbarous  embraces  shall  your  frame  writhe 
with  anguish  !  by  their  hands  shall  your  limbs  be 
torn  joint  from  joint !  Three  days  I  give  you, 
but  three  days  !  to  yield  you  wholly  to  my  will ; 
or  beyond  doubt  it  shall  be  done  to  you  as  I  have 
spoken!" 

With  an  air  of  proud  defiance,  tossing  her  long 
black  locks  from  her  pale  forehead,  her  bosom 
panting,  and  her  eyes  flashing  as  if  with  a*  pro 
phetic  inspiration,  she  raised  her  head,  which  had 
drooped  on  her  bosom,  and  shook  her  finger,  me 
nacingly,  at  the  great  Rover. 

"  And  I  tell  thee,"  she  said,  in  clear  and  liquid 
tones — they  were  like  the  blast  of  a  silver  trum 
pet,  "and  I  tell  thee,  that  ere  three  days,  thou 
shalt  be  called  to  thine  account — be  it  for  good  or 
evil!" 

"  Then !"  answered  he,  bursting  into  an  uncon 
trollable  fit  of  fury,  "then!  by  my  Maker!  to 
thine  shalt  thou  precede  me  !"  and  he  made  a 
step  forward  as  if  to  seize  her  by  the  arm  ;  when 
the  Italian  girl,  and  the  gay  Persian  dancer  rushed 
between,  and  entangling  him  in  their  caresses, 
hung  round  his  sinewy  frame,  like  honeysuckles 
wreathing  their  sweet  tendrils  about  some  giant 
oak ;  while  at  the  same  moment  the  fair-haired 
Bella  laid  her  hand  on  the  Spanish  maiden's 
shoulder,  with  a  delicate  respectful  pressure,  and 
in  a  soft  voice  whispered  blandly — 
.  "Oh!  irritate  him  not,  oh!  irritate  him  not, 
dear  lady — for  although,  when  he  is  himself,  none 
are  more  noble-hearted,  none  are  more  generous 
and  kind,  none  are  more  gentle,  yet  when  the 
paroxysm  is  upon  him,  he  is  the  slave  of  fifty 
furious  demons,  his  own  unchained  passions,  to 
which  the  fiends  themselves  were  powerless  and 
tame  !  oh !  irritate  him  not ;  and  all  may  yet  be 
well ;  and  see,  he  smiles,"  she  added,  quite  disre 
garding  the  air  of  bitter  scorn  with  which  Teresa 
met  her  soft  and  disinterested  advances  ;  and  cast 
ing  herself  in  the  way  of  the  Rover  with  the  con 
scious  air  of  a  favorite,  she  threw  her  arms  about 
his  neck,  and  stopped  the  words  he  seemed  about 
to  utter  by  a  long  ardent  kiss,  whispering  in  his 
ear  as  she  did  so,  "  Heed  her  not  now,  she  will 
be  tamer  soon — consider  she  is  but  fresh  caged ; 
and  even  singing  birds  will  dash  themselves 
against  the  bars  of  their  fresh  cages,  even  although 
those  bars  be  gilded!"  and  she  uttered  a  low 
sweet  merry  laugh ;  which,  though  in  truth  both 


the  action  which  preceded  it,  and  the  laugh  itself 
originated  in  the  best  and  tenderest  motives, 
struck  upon  the  breast  of  Teresa,  as  the  height  of 
cold  unfeeling  heartlessness. 

The  Rover  laughed,  as  he  returned  the  fair 
girl's  kiss. 

"  Well,  be  it  so,  beautiful  Bella — be  it  so,  if 
you  will :"  and  then,  stooping  down,  he  whispered 
a  sentence  in  her  ear.  None  heard  it  but  she — 
and,  pushing  him  gently  to  the  door,  cried,  "  Oh, 
yes !  I  will  remember :  and  now  go — Reginald, 
now  go !" 

Nothing  more  was  said  for  the  moment ;  and, 
turning  quietly  away,  the  Rover  left  the  room, 
closing  the  door  behind  him— releasing  Teresa 
from  the  dread,  which,  when  he  rushed  toward 
her,  despite  her  dauntless  courage,  had  shaken 
her  every  nerve. 

He  had  not,  however,  quitted  the  apartment  a 
minute,  before  Bella  again  approached  the  maid 
en — an  air  of  calm  compassion  sitting  serenely  on 
her  lovely  features;  and  laying  her  white  hand, 
which  showed  like  snow  itself  for  the  contrast, 
upon  the  darker  complexion  of  Teresa's  arm — 

"Come,  lady,  come  with  me,"  she  said,  almost 
humbly.  "  Come  to  my  private  bower,  and  we 
will  seek  for  some  attire  less  unbecoming.  With 
me  you  will  be  safe,  and  can  take  some  repose, 
of  which  I  judge  it  certain  you  must  stand  in  need 
very  greatly." 

But  the  proud  virgin  shook  off  the  caressing 
hand  as  if  contamination  had  been  in  its  slightest 
pressure,  and  shrunk  back  from  her  consolation 
with  an  air  of  absolute  horror. 

"  Pray,  shrink  not  from  me  thus,"  the  English 
girl  exclaimed,  in  accents  that  told  forcibly  the 
depth  of  her  emotions,  her  face  again  covered 
with  a  deep,  deep  blush,  far  different  from  the 
hot  crimson  color  that  had  suffused  her  whole 
complexion  at  the  words  of  her  lover. 

"  Nay,  shrink  not  from  me  thus,  dear  lady : 
contamination  lies  not  in  the  mere  touch,  even  of 
the  violet.  It  is  the  mind  which,  done,  pollutes  ; 
and  God,  he  knows  that,  be  I  what  I  may  myself, 
I  would  not  teach  vice  to  another — no !  not  to  be 
virtuous  again  myself,  which  I  can  never  be,  nor 
pure  as  I  once  was.  Nor  yet  too  much  despise 
us  :  for,  be  sure,  lady,  that  as  thou  art  now,  we 
were  all  once ;  as  innocent,  as  pure,  as  noble  ;  and 
be  not  too  sure,  lady,  proud  though  thou  be,  and 
pure  as  unsunned  snow,  and  strong  in  purity — be 
,not  too  sure  that  thou  be  not  in  a  few  days  as  we 
now  are!" 

"  Never — Oh  no  !  by  my  own  soul,.no  !  never !" 
answered  Teresa,  eagerly,  but  in  a  manner  much 
mollified  by  her  companion's  manner. 

"  Be  not  too  sure  !"  Bella  responded.     "  Honor 


A    TALE    OF    FLORIDA. 


45 


is  dear,  indeed — dearer  than  life  to  the  innocent — 
but  life  is  very  sweet ;  and  death,  under  the  tor 
tures,  very  awful :  and  if,  by  losing  life,  we  may 
not  save  our  honor — " 

"  Then  better  die  dishonored!" — Teresa  inter 
rupted  her — "  but  though  I  hear  your  words,  I 
scarcely  comprehend  their  purport!" 

"  Like  enough,  -lady ! — like  enough!  and  may 
you  never  do  so — but  I  believe  you  will.  For 
you  will  learn  that  this  same  honor,  for  which 
you  would  die  willingly,  may  be  rent  from  you, 
living,  by  the  brute  violence,  not  of  one  noble- 
minded,  although  erring,  soldier,  but  of  a  thou 
sand  brutal  desperadoes — and  that  you  may  not 
die  till  all,  even  the  loathsome  blacks,  are  sated, 
and  then  die  horribly — oh  !  horribly. — Better,  per 
haps,  comply,  than  suffer  thus." 

"  Besides,"  continued  the  other,  as  if  she  had 
scarcely  heard  the  Spanish  maiden's  words — "  Be 
sides,  if  he  so  will  it,  without  force  he  can  win 
you.  No  man's  arm,  and  no  woman's  heart  ever 
successfully  opposed,  when  he  was  resolute  in 

earnest the  fixed  and  overwhelming  will  of 

Reginald.  Lady,  before  three  days,  if  he  so  will 
it  you  shall  dote  on  him  unto  adoration." 

"  You  know  not  what  you  say,"  answered  the 
Spaniard  firmly,  but  no  longer  with  any  vehe 
mence  of  passion  in  her  tones.  "  I  love  another." 

"Ha!  is  it  so?"  replied  Bella.— "  Is  it  so? 
then,  indeed,  it  may  be.  you  shall  not  fall :  for 
had  I  loved  another  then,  as  I  love  now,  surely  I 
had  endured  all  sooner  !" 

"  And  do  you  then — do  you  in  truth  love  this 
dread  being?"  said  Teresa,  strong  interest  over 
powering  the  disgust  which  she  had  felt  to  her 
frail  companion.  "  Do  you  indeed  love — you, 
who  seem  so  soft  and  gentle — this  merciless,  this 
fiend-like  Rover  ?" 

"For  what  then  do  you  take  me?"  exclaimed 
Bella,  looking  full  in  the  eyes  of  Teresa,  with  as 
proud  and  haughty  an  air  as  she  had  lately  met, 
"  with  all  my  mind,  and  heart,  and  spirit ! — think 
you  an  English  lady,  though  she  may  stoop  for 
love  to  be  Pirate's  leman,  would  feign  love  which 
she  felt  not  ?  With  my  whole  mind,  and  heart, 
and  spirit,  I  worship.  I  adore  him !  In  his  love — 
in  his  life — I  alone  have. my  being — when  he  dies 
I  shall  not  survive  him ! — it  is  enough — trust 
to  me  ;  you  have  naught  to  fear — neither  harm  to 
your  person,  nor  pollution  to  your  mind — come  to 
my  bower,  and  I  will  speak  with  you  more  fully." 

The  Spanish  girl,  who  for  a  moment,  dignified 
as  she  was,  and  proud,  and  haughty,  had  actually 
quailed  before  the  fiery  and  surpassing  pride  of 
the  pirate's  paramour,  now  feeling  perhaps  that 
she  had  something  wronged  her  in  her  thoughts ; 
and  at  all  events  experiencing  a  melting  of  the 


heart  toward  one  who  although  frail  was  kind  to 
her  and  very  gentle,  and  who  might  have  some 
palliation  of  her  crime  in  the  peculiar  circum 
stances  of  her  sad  tale,  answered  no  farther,  but 
took  her  proffered  hand  in  silence,  and  leaning  on 
her  shoulder,  for  she  was  fast  becoming  very 
weak,  retired  to  the  beauty's  boudoir. 


CHAPTER  X. 

The  dny  passed  over,  as  all  days  must,  in  its 
appointed  time,  whether  of  joy  or  sorrow,  and  the 
great  sun  went  down  upon  the  pirate's  hold,  as 
peacefully  as  on  the  shepherd's  hut,  all  bright  and 
blessing,  and  one  by  one  the  stars  came  out  in 
their  set  places,  and  the  broad  moon  arose — a  ball 
of  liquid  silver. 

The  day  passed  over — but  through  its  weary 
hours,  though  trembling  at  each  distant  footstep, 
and  ehuddering  at  every  voice,  Teresa  heard  no 
more,  saw  no  more,  of  the  dreaded  Rover ;  and 
as  she  learned  by  slow  degrees  to  forget — if  not  to 
forgive — the  frailty  of  her  lovely  hostess  in  her 
compassionate  kindness ;  and  as  hour  after  hour 
glided  by,  and  naught  occurred  to  wake  new  ap 
prehension,  the  tension  of  her  nerves,  strong  pre- 
ternaturally  by  the  intense  and  terrible  excite 
ment  of  the  scenes  in  which  she  had  so  lately 
borne  a  part  so  prominent,  was  gradually  softened 
down ;  her  tears  flowed,  not  convulsively,  but  in 
a  tranquil  stream  which  ever  seemed  to  relieve 
her  burning  brain  from  one  half  of  its  fiery  bur 
then — she  now  wept  not  for  herself  alone — and 
even  that  rather  from  nervous  irritation,  than  that 
she  had  appreciated  her  position — but  for  her,  tor 
tured,  butchered  brother — for  her  unhappy  parent 
— for,  more  than  all  beside — her  true,  her  own 
dear  AmeJdis !  Nor  did  she  only  weep  ! — she 
prayed — prayed  purely,  fervently,  with  strong 
affectionate  unwavering  faith,  for  strength — that 
only  real  strength — the  strength  which  cometh 
from  on  high — to  bear  in  calm  humility,  in  Chris 
tian  fortitude,  whatever  might  be  sent  to  her  by 
HIM,  who  sendeth  all  his  gifts,  whether  of  joy 
or  sorrow,  wisely  and  well,  and — though  we, 
thoughtlesss  and  hard-hearted,  believe  it  not  to  be 
so — for  our  eternal  good!  She  prayed — and  rose 
up  from  her  bended  knees — as  all  wrill  rise,  who 
do  pray  fervently,  and  purely,  and  with  faith — 
refreshed  and  comforted  in  spirit,  and  strengthened 
with  an  inward  hope,  surpassing  any  confidence 
of  earth,  in  a  strong  Rescuer  on  high.  She  rose 
up,  braver  than  she  had  knelt  dowrn,  and  with  a 
better  courage ;  for  it  was  not  based  on  her  own 
vain  confidence  of  heart,  and  stubborn  purpose, 
but  in  the  love  of  HIM  who  slumbereth  not,  nor 


RINGWOOD    THE    ROVER, 


sleepeth,  nor  overlooketh  the  least  hair  that  is 
rent  from  the  head  of  his  most  humble  wor 
shiper. 

She  rose  up,  as  we  have  said,  comforted  and 
strengthened — she  washed,  and  braided  her  disor 
dered  locks,  and  clad  herself  in  the  most  modest 
garments  of  her  fair  entertainer ;  she  ate  and 
drank,  and  laid  her  down  in  her  pure  unsunned  in 
nocence,  beside  that  bright  but  erring  being, 
whose  very  virtues  had  been  melted  down  by  the 
uncurbed  indulgence  of  ungovernable  passions, 
into  voluptuous  vice,  and  slept  as  soundly  and  as 
sweetly  as  the  young  happy  infant  cradled  upon 
its  mother's  bosom.  While  long,  long  after  she 
had  sunk  to  rest,  the  fair-haired  beauty  watched 
every  long  drawn  breath,  and  almost  wept,  she 
knew  not  why,  over  the  calm  unconscious  sleeper 
— till  when  the  night  had  far  advanced  toward 
morning,  she  started,  as  if  into  remembrance  from 
a  sudden  dream ;  and,  rising  from  Teresa's  side, 
thrust  her  small  snowy  feet  into  a  pair  of  fairy 
slippers,  drew  a  large  robe  of  velvet  about  her 
shapely  limbs,  and  stole  away,  nor  returned  any 
more  to  her  own  bower,  until  the  tropical  sun  was 
high  already  in  the  clear  firmament. 

That  day  the  Rover  came  not  nigh  Teresa,  for 
in  the  fort  without,  and  in  the  circular  basin,  all 
was  now  bustle  and  hot  haste.  During  the  night 
two  more  feluccas,  which  had  been  detached  from 
the  rest  upon  some  distant  cruise,  had  been  warped 
into  the  harbor  and  found  berths  beside  their 
consorts,  and  all  the  morning  long  all  hands  were 
actively  employed  refitting  them  for  instant  ser 
vice — water  casks  were  rolled  out,  and  filled,  and 
hoisted  in  again;  and  biscuit,  and  rich  meats,  and 
fragrant  wines,  and  arms,  and  ammunition,  and 
fresh  men,  embarked  with  emulous  haste.  At 
noon,  as  the  two  girls  might  see  from  Bella's 
bower — for  having,  though  half  reluctant,  and 
half  doubtful  of  her  own  liberty  to  do  so,  become 
in  some  degree  conciliated  to  that  kind  although 
guilty  creature,  Teresa  would  no  more  consent  to 
quit  her  private  chamber  ;  nor  to  seek  any  more 
intercourse  with  those  who,  although  in  truth  no 
more  guilty  than  the  English  girl,  yet  seemed  so 
to  her  eyes  already  influenced — alas  !  weak  mor 
tals  ! — by  some  small  show  of  kindness — at  noon 
as  the  two  girls  might  see  from  Bella's  bower — a 
council  was  held  within  the  ramparts  of  the  keep 
of  all  the  pirate  leaders ;  and,  shortly  after  the 
drum  beat  to  arms  ;  and  all  the  buccaneers  assem 
bled,  and  fell  into  their  ranks,  a  gay  and  gorgeous 
host,  numbering  at  least  twelve  hundred  practiced 
warriors. 

After  a  brief  inspection  by  the  great  buccaneer 
himself,  eight  hundred  were  detailed,  and  instantly 
embarked  in  the  two  last  arrived  feluccas,  anc 


11  the  vessels  of  the  other  squadron,  saving 
lone  the  largest  barque — Ringwood's  own  flag 
hip — and  the  small  sloop  or  tender  which  lay 
moored  by  the  water-gate.  Within  an  hour  at 
urthest,  the  last  of  this  gallant  squadron,  de- 
ached,  as  it  was  evident,  on  some  peculiar  duty, 
disappeared  behind  a  dense  mass  of  trees  which 
Ceiled  the  outlet  of  the  harbor ;  and  so  strong  was 
he  current  of  the  river  which  leaped  up  there  at 
once,  a  giant  from  its  birth,  that  in  less  than  two 
lours  more  they  were  all  out  at  sea  with  their 
sails  set  to  the  stiff  breeze,  ploughing  the  billows 
merrily. 

With  them,  however,  we  go  not  on  their  path 
of  rapine — their  sails  were  spread,  and  their  masts 
t>ent  to  the  morning  blast,  and  their  lean  bows 
cleft  with  a  sound  of  laughter  the  blue  waves. 
But  no  eye  from  the  pirate's  hold  could  mark 
them,  though  many  a  heart  beat  eager  with  antici 
pation.  When  they  were  out  of  sight,  after  some 
short  parade  and  manning  of  the  guns,  Ring  wood 
dismissed  his  men ;  and  with  his  arms  folded  upon 
his  bosom,  and  his  proud  head  depressed  as  though 
in  melancholy  thought,  strolled  for  some  time  in 
a  listless  mood  about  the  esplanade  of  the  fort,  and 
then  withdrew  quietly  to  his  own  turret  chamber, 
where  none — not  his  most  intimate  associates — 
not  his  most  trusted  officers — ever  presumed  to 
break  upon  his  solitude — and  there  remained  all 
moody  and  alone,  till  the  sun  had  already  plunged 
his  lower  limb  into  the  deep  and  tufted  foliage  of  the 
surrounding  forest.  Just  at  that  time,  however,  as 
the  land  breeze  began  to  die  away,  and  a  faint 
languid  calm  succeeded,  before  the  setting  in  of 
the  fresher  breath  of  the  free  ocean — a  dull,  deep, 
heavy  sound — a  sort  of  rumbling  and  continuous 
roar  was  heard  by  the  watchers  on  the  bastions ; 
and  while  they  were  yet  wondering  what  those 
hoarse  notes  might  mean,  the  Rover  stood  among 
them — 

"  Ordnance  !"  he  said — "  and  heavy  ordnance  ! 
— man  all  the  batteries,  load,  and  run  out  the  guns ; 
see  you  have  linstocks  ready,  and  fire  at  hand  to 
light  them." 

And,  although  many  doubted  that  those  far  sounds 
were  indeed  guns — none  disobeyed  his  orders ! 
none  hesitated  for  a  moment — and  ere  long  it  was 
proved  how  perfect  was  the  ear,  how  accurate  the 
judgment  of  the  great  English  Rover — for  as  the 
sea  breeze  freshened,  and  blew  strong,  it  bore 
upon  its  dewy  breath  the  sharp  reports  of  many  a 
single  cannon,  of  many  a  long  continuous  volley. 
At  last  the  sounds  died  off,  and  seemed  to  melt 
into  the  distance,  and  pass  entirely  away — but 
again,  just  as  it  grew  quite  dark,  before  the  moon 
had  risen,  or  the  stars  yet  come  out,  the  cannon 
ading  was  renewed,  closer,  as  it  seemed,  than  be- 


A    TALE    OF    FLORIDA. 


fore ;  and  after  a  brief  furious  battle,  a  crimson 
glare  rushed  up  the  deep  blue  sky ;  and  so  con 
tinued,  wavering  now — now  flashing  fiery  bright, 
for  nigh  an  hour  of  time ;  then  a  keen  stream,  or 
column  rather,  of  white  light  shot  up  toward  the 
zenith  with  a  dull  heavy  shock ;  a  shower  of  sparks 
fell  seaward,  and  all  was  dark  and  silent.  All 
that  night  long  torches  were  blazing  and  guards 
pacing  the  stoue  bastions,  and  blue  lights  dimly 
burning  in  all  the  trenches  of  the  outer  works. 
Nay,  more,  the  guns  were  manned  even  in  the  ci 
tadel  itself,  and  in  the  Rover's  keep — and  all  those 
tedious  hours  with  ear,  heart,  eye  on  the  alert, 
Teresa  watched  and  prayed  in  the  strong  hope  of 
coming  succor.  Both  vessels  in  the  harbor  were 
full  manned  and  all  in  battle  order — but,  though 
all  hearts  were  burning,  all  arms  high  strung 
against  the  foe,  though  Reginald  himself  waked  to 
devise  fresh  means  of  desperate  defence,  half 
doubting  that  his  consorts  were  cut  off,  and  two- 
thirds  of  his  men  destroyed,  for  well  he  knew  no 
one  would  yield  him  captive — no  foe  appeared — 
nor  friend.  The  chirpings  and  hummings  of  the 
innumerable  insect  tribes — the  croak  of  the  count 
less  reptiles,  mixed  with  the  chatter  of  the  night- 
hawk  and  the  rich  melody  of  an  occasional  mock 
ing  bird,  were  the  only  sounds  that  waked  the 
night  echoes  of  the  Florida  forest,  except  the 
watchword  and  the  tramp  of  the  stern  sentinel. 

Just  as  day  dawned,  commanding  the  small 
sloop  to  slip  her  cable,  and  with  a  picked  and  ve 
teran  crew  of  twenty  English  sailors,  to  drop 
down  cautiously  and  reconnoitre,  Ringwood  de 
parted  from  the  busy  ramparts ;  and,  for  the  first 
time,  since  the  stormy  scene  which  had  ensued 
on  Teresa's  introduction,  turned  toward  the  bower. 
He  lingered  not,  however,  there ;  when  he  found 
none  within  its  gorgeous  precincts  save  the  Italian 
girl,  and  the  soft  Persian  dancer,  though  each  tried 
her  most  choice  allurements  to  detain  him ;  but 
passed,  after  a  few  short  moments,  into  the  bower 
of  his  English  favorite. 

"Ha!  Bella,"  he  said,  as  he  enter e^J,  "my  sweet 
Bella,"  and  a  touch  of  real  fondness  was  audible 
in  his  rich  accents — "  and  thou,  Teresa,  nay !  nay ! 
start  not,  nor  look  so  wildly,  lady — I  come  not  to 
alarm,  much  less  to  harm  you ;  sit,  fair  one,  and 
fear  nothing.  Now,  Bella,  dearest,  I  have  watched 
all  night  long,  and  am  fatigued  and  faint,  bid  your 
slave  girls  bring  forth  their  dainties,  I  come  to 
break  my  fast  in  your  sweet  company,  and  spend 
a  tranquil  hour,"  and  with  the  words  he  cast  his 
splendid  figure  at  length  upon  a  satin  ottoman  on 
the  side  of  the  chamber  farthest  from  Teresa,  in 
an  attitude  of  the  most  perfect  grace  and  majesty, 
and  remained  for  some  seconds  without  speaking, 
a  grave  and  even  sorrowful  expression  pervading 


his  expressive  lineaments.  After  a  few  moments, 
raising  his  eyes  to  Teresa's  face,  he  perceived  that 
the  bland  air  of  dismay,  almost  despair,  still  sat 
upon  her  pallid  features ;  and  that  with  lips  apart> 
nostrils  dilated,  and  eyes  rigidly  set  and  glaring, 
she  gazed  upon  his  features,  as  if  she  therein 
thought  to  read  her  doom. 

"  Fear  nothing  now  from  me,"  he  again  said,  in 
a  voice  singularly  mild  and  witching.  "  Fear  no 
thing  now  from  me,  Teresa.  The  fire  has  gone 
out  here,"  and  he  laid  his  broad  hand  on  his  brow, 
"  and  if  you  fan  it  not  by  any  heedless  folly,  will 
sleep,  perchance,  forever.  The  fiend  of  memory 
is  for  awhile  at  rest ;  see  that  you  wake  it  not  to 
phrensy  !  nay,  wonder  not,  nor  start  at  my  words, 
either.  If  I  have  sinned  much,  I  have  suffered 
much,  and  many  of  my  sins  have  been  the  rank 
fruit  of  those  very  sufferings.  But  a  truce  now  to 
this ;  my  word  is  pledged  to  you,  that  you  shall 
undergo  no  violence.  My  word,  girl,  inviolate 
yet — see  that  you  stir  me  not  to  any  reckless  fit — 
— when  reason  yields  the  sins  to  memory,  to  weak 
ness  and  revenge  !  Teresa,  fear  me  not !" 

"  I  fear  you  not,"  she  answered,  half  timidly, 
half  reassured  by  his  strangely  altered  manner, 
"  though  I  have  mighty  cause  to  fear  you,  yet  I 
do  not !" 

"  So  you  shall  have  no  cause — daring  myself,  I 
love  the  daring  and  undaunted,  even  when  they 
defy  me  !  sin-stained  myself  and  passion-blighted, 
I  yet  admire  the  innocent  and  pure.  Dauntless  I 
do  know  you,  Teresa ! — for  had  you  not  been  so, 
long  hence  had  your  dishonored  carcass  glutted 
the  dog-fish  and  the  shark,  and  pure  I  do  believe 
you !  were  it  not,  I  say,  for  memory  and  pride,  I 
might  even  now  release  you." 

"Oh!  do!  do!"  she  exclaimed,  " do  so ;  and 
God  will  bless  you;  your  sins,  though  red  as 
scarlet,  shall  become  white  as  snow;  your  ra 
pines  and  your  crimes  shall  all  be  pardoned  you ; 
a  grateful  virgin's  prayers  shall  rise  up  nightly 
for  your  weal,  shall  win  the  grace  of  the  Eternal, 
shall  shield  your  head  in  battle,  that  not  a  hair  of 
it  shall  perish,  and  more,  far  more,  than  with  a 
self-approving  conscience,  shall  crown  your  days 
with  bliss,  and  steep  your  nights  in  quiet.  Do  so, 
and  on  your  bed  of  death  a  weak  girl's  voice  of 
gratitude  shall  smooth  your  thorny  pillow— her 
father's—" 

«Ha! — no  more! — Peace!  on  your  life,  no 
more!"  cried  Ringwood,  fiercely  interrupting  her, 
as  he  half  started  from  the  couch  whereon  he  was 
reclining,  at  the  mere  mention  of  the  man,  whom 
he  indeed  had  so  deep  cause  to  execrate ;  though 
but  a  little  while  before  he  had  seemed  on  the 
point  of  yielding  to  her  prayers.  Teresa,  nerved 
with  the  hope  of  winning  hinij  would  have  replied ; 


48 


RINGWOOD    THE    ROVER, 


and  by  so  doing  would  probably  have  once  more 
roused  him  into  a  burst  of  savage  and  ungovern 
able  fury,  but  as  her  lips  moved  to  answer,  Bella, 
who  had  been  absent  for  a  moment  with  her  hand 
maids,  fortunately  returned,  and  laying  her  hand 
on  Teresa's  shoulder,  pressed  it  so  strongly,  that 
she  looked  up,  and  then  she  laid  her  fingers  to  her 
own  mouth  with  a  grave  smile,  and  changed  the 
subject  by  addressing  Ringwood  with  some  slight 
question  of  no  moment. 

Meantime  the  board  was  spread  with  dainties, 
choice  fruits,  and  savory  meats,  and  snowy  bread, 
and  the  enchanting  wines  of  Southern  Europe,  in 
bowls  of  porcelain  and  crystal,  dishes  embossed 
with  gold,  and  flasks  engraved  by  the  unequaled 
chisel  of  Cellini ;  and  Ringwood  led,  strange  guests ! 
the  fair-haired  Bella,  and  that  stern  innocent  Span 
ish  virgin,  to  seats  beside  him;  and  played  the 
host  with  such  unrivaled  courtesy,  such  proud 
humility  in  every  accent  of  his  rich,  deep,  manly 
voice,  such  dignity  and  grace  in  every  free  un 
studied  gesture,  that  even  Teresa  was  won  for  a 
space  from  her  gloomy  abstraction,  and  to  her 
own  astonishment — when  she  reflected  on  it  after 
ward — found  herself  wondering  at — almost  admi 
ring — the  chivalrous  and  dignified  demeanor  of 
the  fierce  Pirate. 

Before  the  meal  was  well  concluded,  one  of  the 
slave  girls  who  attended,  came  with  a  hasty  step 
from  the  armory,  announcing  that  Pluto  and  an 
other  black  awaited  the  Rover's  leisure. 

"What  other  black — my  midnight  beauty?" 
exclaimed  the  Rover,  laughing,  "  His  fellow  Cha 
ron,  is  it?" 

"  His  name  Antonio,  massa — who  sell  us  fruit 
and  fish  from  his  pirogue." 

"Ha!"  cried  the  Rover,  "  Ha !—"  and  mused 
a  moment,  and  stepped  out  into  the  gorgeous  ves 
tibule,  decked  with  its  glittering  arms,  leaving 
the  door  behind  him  open,  so  that  the  girls  could 
hear  every  word  that  passed. 

"What!  is  it  you,  Antonio — what  brings  you 
here,  and  whence?" 

"From  Key  West,  massa,  last,  with  plenty 
fine  fresh  turtle — they  in  my  pirogue,  down  be 
low,  so  heavy  we  can 't  warp  him  up !" 

"  Key  West — what  of  our  squadron  then  ?  you 
must  have  met  it." 

"  Certain !"  replied  the  negro,  "  I  met  'em,  anc 
told  massa  Cunninghame  of  Spanish  fleet  in  the 
offing — seven  merchant  galliots  and  one  caravel 
Then  massa  Cunninghame  set  sail  till  he  fel 
within  them,  and  hoisted  English  color — and  ther 
ran!" 

"Ran?"  cried  the  Rover,  "ran!" 
"  Yes,  he  ran,  massa  Ringwood,  till  they  al 
chased  him,  and   got   scattered,  then  he  turne( 


round  and  fought ;  and  when  the  caravel  took 
round  not  fifty  fathom  from  the  inlet,  he  left  her 
lard  and  fast,  and  chased  the  galliots,  and  took 
wo — and  then  his  squadron  all  came  back,  and 
nattered  the  war-ship  and  burned  her  quite,  and 
sacked  the  galliots  and  then  scuttled  them  and 
then  went  ofT  in  chase  again  after  five  others — 
long  chase,  but  still  I  guess  he  catch  'em!" 

"Ha!  well  done,  Cunninghame !  brave  Cun 
ninghame!  brave  Cunninghame!"  exclaimed  the 
Rover,  "take  that  for  thy  news,  fellow/'  giving 
turn  as  he  spoke  two  or  three  Spanish  dollars. 
'  I  must  away  and  call  the  men  from  the  felucca, 
and  the  batteries ;  they  list  not  service  unless  it 
be  strictly  needed.  What  wouldst  thou  more, 
my  good  fellow?" 

"  So  please  you,  send  four  hands  in  his  canoe, 
help  poor  Antonio  up  with  big  pirogue;  have 
plenty  fat  turtle  and  fresh  fruit  to-night." 

"Well,  see  to  it,  Pluto!"  and  with  the  words 
entirely  deceived  by  the  intelligence  he  had  re 
ceived,  and  lulled  into  confidence  that  his  crews 
were  victorious,  the  Rover  hurried  down,  and 
called  off  all  his  men  save  the  two  wonted  senti 
nels  upon  the  bastions,  and  the  two  watchmen  in 
his  own  felucca ;  revoked  his  orders  to  the  sloop 
which  had  already  moved  toward  the  outlet ;  and 
ordering  an  extra  supply  of  wines,  in  compensa 
tion  of  their  recent  toils,  to  all  the  buccaneers, 
gave  himself  up  to  dreams  of  complete  triumph. 
An  hour  or  two  elapsed  and  Antonio's  pirogue 
came  up,  manned  in  addition  to  its  usual  crew  by 
four  of  the  Rover's  trustiest  men,  who  reported 
all  still  and  peaceful  in  the  outlet,  and  was  moored 
inside  the  large  felucca,  close  to  the  shingly  beach 
below  the  batteries.  Her  deck  load  of  fruit  and 
fish  was  soon  got  ashore,  her  hatches  battened 
down,  and  herself,  as  it  seemed,  left  vacant  and 
unguarded,  while  her  black  crew,  consisting  only 
of  two  boys  in  addition  to  Antonio,  went  ashore 
with  the  Rover's  men  to  join  in  their  accustomed 
revelings  and  riots. 

Night  fell ;  and  though  for  a  little  while  licen 
tious  songs,  loud  shouts  of  mirthful  laughter,  and 
many  a  sound  of  wild  ungoverned  mirth  rung 
through  the  guarded  esplanade,  long  before  mid 
night  not  an  eye  was  awake  in  the  ships,  on  the 
ramparts,  in  the  dwellings,  or  in  the  Rover's  keep, 
so  heavily  were  the  buccaneers  exhausted  by  the 
strange  mixture  of  fatigue  and  feasting  which  had 
characterized  the  last  four  days — save  those  of 
the  four  sentinels,  two  in  the  barque,  and  one  on 
either  bastion,  and  of  the  sad  Teresa,  who,  waking 
from  a  perturbed  and  dreamy  sleep,  had  missed 
her  fair  companion — for  she,  as  on  the  former 
night,  had  stolen  from  her  couch  unnoticed— and 
now  stood  gazing  from  her  high  lattice  over  the 


A    TALE    OF    FLORIDA. 


49 


lovely  scene  below,  which  lay  all  glimmering  out 
in  the  indistinct  light  of  the  happy  moon,  half 
lustre  and  half  shadow. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

As  she  gazed  down  upon  the  moonlit  esplanade, 
Teresa  saw  a  tall  dark  figure  creep  out  with  cat 
like  stealthy  tread  from  beneath  the  verandah  of 
the  large  building  nearest  to  the  sea ;  and,  keeping 
itself  with  great  care  inside  the  darkest  shadows, 
drag  itself  inch  by  inch  toward  the  stone  bastion 
at  the  right  hand  termination  of  the  battery; 
whereon  she  clearly  saw  the  pirate  sentinel  stalk 
ing  his  solitary  round  upon  the  rampart,  the  long 
bright  barrel  of  his  shouldered  harquebuse  glancing 
like  silver  in  the  moon  light.  At  first  she  gazed 
with  simple  wonder,  wholly  unmixed  with  curi 
osity  or  interest,  upon  the  movements  of  the  dark 
shadowy  form;  but  suddenly,  as  he  crossed  a 
streak  of  moonshine,  it  struck  her  with  the  speed 
of  light  that  his  was  a  well  known  figure ;  and  in 
stantly  a  train  of  recollections,  all  hitherto  forgot 
ten,  flashed  on  her — the  name  Antonio — the  voice, 
now  well-remembered  of  the  unseen  messenger — 
it  was — it  must  be  !  the  black  fisherman,  the 
trusted  guide  and  hunter  of  her  loved  Amadis ! 
She  now  strained  all  her  eyes,  her  heart,  her  spirit, 
to  mark  what  was  his  progress,  not  doubting  for 
a  moment  that  ere  long  she  would  be  set  free, 
whether  by  death  or  rescue — while  she  had  been 
engaged,  brief  as  they  were,  in  these  imaginations, 
she  had  lost  sight  for  a  moment  or  two  of  the  dark 
gliding  figure ;  and  when  she  turned  her  eyes 
again  toward  the  spot,  it  was  no  longer  visible ; 
and,  what  seemed  stranger  yet,  the  pirate  sentinel 
no  longer  paced  the  bastion,  although  his  comrade 
could  be  distinctly  seen  leaning  against  an  angle 
near  the  sallyport,  by  which  Teresa  had  gained 
entrance,  at  the  further  end  of  the  lines.  Sus 
pecting,  more  than  ever,  now  that  something  great 
was  on  the  point  of  happening,  she  gazed  yet  more 
intently  ;  yet  nothing  might  she  see  of  him,  whom 
she  believed,  with  all  the  confidence  of  youth  and 
inexperience,  to  be  a  friend  and  rescuer  within 
the  pirate's  hold.  Tired  at  length  with  watching 
the  long  line  of  vacant  ramparts,  she  looked  again 
toward  the  sleeping  soldier,  and  as  she  did  so 
from  the  dark  shadow  of  the  ravelin  and  trench 
she  saw  a  coal  black  figure  leap,  with  the  blithe 
and  muscular  action  of  a  tiger  bounding  upon  his 
prey,  on  the  unconscious  pirate — something  bright 
flashed  once  or  twice  aloft  in  the  clear  moonshine 
and  the  struggle  was  ended  in  a  moment,  the  hap 
less  sentinel  falling  a  scarce  less  conscious  victim 
to  his  swift  secret  foe. 


A  moment  more,  and  the  victor  had  donned  the 
scarlet  watch  cloak  of  his  fallen  enemy,  and  was 
low  boldly  traversing  the  whole  line  of  the  espla 
nade,  stopping  and  stooping  down  for  a  moment 
or  two  at  regular  intervals,  while  a  faint  clinking 
sound,  heard  indistinctly  from  the  distance,  gave 
note,  even  to  the  inexperienced  ear  of  Teresa,  that 
he  was  engaged  in  spiking  all  the  cannon.  After 
this  task  was  ended,  disencumbering  himself  of 
the  watch  cloak,  he  crept  down  to  the  water's 
edge,  and  plunging  into  the  calm  basin  swam 
straight  for  his  pirogue,  swung  himself  by  a  rope 
to  the  deck,  and  for  several  minutes'  space  was 
lost  to  the  anxious  gaze  of  the  Spanish  maiden. 

He  re-appeared  at  last,  however,  from  the  hold, 
accompanied  by  ten  or  twelve  men,  whom  by  their 
corslets  and  steel  caps,  and  the  long  barrels  of 
their  Spanish  muskets,  she  knew  at  once  to  be 
Castilian  soldiers — within  a  moment  they  had 
lowered  away  the  pinnace,  which  hung  at  the  pi 
rogue's  stern,  and  entering  it,  pulled  openly  across 
the  basin  toward  the  Rover's  barque ;  the  ynti- 
nels  "on  which,  seeing  that  tlieir  boat  came  directly 
as  it  appeared  to  them,  from  the  water-gate  of  the 
fortress,  hailed  not,  nor  uttered  any  challenge,  but 
suffered  the  pinnace  to  come  to  under  her  very 
stern,  and  her  crew  to  scale  her  bulwark  unop 
posed  ;  all  of  which  Teresa  might  behold  distinctly 
by  clear  moonlight.  What  farther  passed  she 
knew  not ;  but  in  a  little  while  she  saw  a  bright 
light  shown  from  the  windows  in  the  stern,  and 
at  the  same  time  the  vessel  began  to  swing  round 
slowly  so  as  to  bring  her  broadside,  which  had  so 
lately  borne  full  on  the  entrance  of  the  basin,  to 
cover  the  dwellings  of  the  buccaneers. 

For  a  little  while  longer  she  watched  stead 
fastly  the  basin  and  the  vessels,  but  nothing  took 
place  any  more,  although  she  staid  beside  the 
lattice  till  the  moon  set  behind  the  tree-tops,  and 
deep  darkness  settled  down  over  the  glimmering 
prospect.  Then  fancying  that  nothing  would  take 
place  that  night,  and  fearing  lest  Bella  might  re 
turn  and  find  her  watching,  she  turned  away  and 
walked  toward  her  couch.  In  doing  so,  however, 
she  passed  another  casement,  which  looked  out 
toward  the  forest  in  the  rear ;  on  which  side,  fear 
less  of  any  sudden  onslaught,  and  confiding  in  the 
remoteness  of  their  station,  surrounded  as  it  was 
by  forests,  everglades,  impenetrable  hammocks, 
and  morasses — pathless  save  to  the  wandering 
Indian — the  pirates  kept  no  watch ;  and,  as  she 
passed  it,  another  sight  flashed  on  her  eyes,  even 
more  \vonderful  as  it  appeared  to  her,  than  aught 
she  had  yet  witnessed — a  long  and  regular  line  of 
dull  red  sparks,  not  larger  than  the  luminous  fire 
fly  of  that  region,  and  scarce  so  brilliant,  were 
winding  round  the  outer  side  of  the  ditch,  which 


50 


RINGWOOD    THE    ROVER, 


circled  all  the  rear  of  the  position.     Suddenly,  at 
one  point,  they  clustered  close  together,  and  then 
descended,  as  it  seemed,  into  the  deep  wet  fosse. 
Then !  then !  her  very  soul  on  the  alert,  for  she 
had  seen  and  heard  enough  of  warfare  to  know 
that  those  dull  sparks  were  kindled  matches  of  a 
long  line  of  musqueteers,  she  threw  the  lattice 
open;  and  leaning  out  into  the  dewy  night  air, 
listened  intently — nor  did  she  listen  long,  before 
the  grating  of  a  saw  was  clearly  audible ;  although 
by  no  means  loud  enough  to  wake  a  sleeper ;  or 
scarce,  perhaps,  to  rouse  the  dull  perceptions  of 
an  uninterested  watcher — after  a  time  the  sound 
was  heard  no  more,  and  very  soon  the  little  lights 
might  be  seen,  one  by  one,   emerging  from  the 
hither  side,  and  forming  in  close  order  within  the 
esplanade,  which  they  had   actually  entered  all 
unmolested  and  unseen,  save  by  a  friendly  eye — 
and  now  Teresa  knew  that  friends  were  close  at 
hand,  and  rescue  almost  certain.     Yet  now  she 
trembled  more  than  in  her  hour  of  peril,  and  was 
so   sjiaken   in  her  every  nerve,  that  when  she 
kneeled  to  pray  and  offer  up  her  tribute  of  thanks 
giving,  her  tongue   refused  its  office,  her  senses 
failed  her,  and  she  sank  fainting  on  the  velvet 
carpet,  so  that  she  saw,  rest  as  she  might,  or  any 
other,  who  had  gazed  seaward  from  that  height, 
almost  at  the  same  point  of  time  wherein  the 
footman  passed  the  palisades,  the  tall  white  sails 
of  a  huge    Spanish    caravella,    steal    ghost-like 
through  the  shadows  of  the  trees  that  fringed  the 
outlet,  towed  by  a  dozen  boats  pulled  noiselessly 
with  muffled  oars,  into  the  middle  of  the  basin. 
Another — and  another — and  yet  another  followed  ; 
and,  strange  to  tell !  though  no  slight  noise  at 
tended  their  proceedings,  they,  with  the  captured 
barque  of  Ringwood,  were   moored  within  half 
pistol  shot  of  the  batteries,  the  guns  of  which  were 
all,  as  has  been  seen,  spiked  and  so  rendered  use 
less,  their  cannon  bearing  full  on  the  defenceless 
dwellings  of  the  buccaneers,  and  their  boats  ready 
to  land  with  their  armed  crews  at  a  moment's 
notice,  ere  any  ear  had  taken  note  of  their  arrival. 
In  another  part  of  the  Rover's  keep,  while  all 
this  was  in  progress,  even  to  the  point  of  time 
wherein  Teresa  fainted,  there  was  a  widely  dif 
ferent  picture,  had   any  eye  been  there  to  look 
upon  it.     It  was  the  very  topmost  turret  of  that 
tall    building — a    small  octagonal  watch  tower, 
overlooking  the  whole  esplanade  below,  and  hav 
ing  the  breech  of  the  huge  gun,  which  has  before 
been  mentioned,  within  six  feet  of  its  doorway, 
which  opened  on  the  battlements.  Access  was  only 
gained  to  this  high  turret  by  a  steep  winding  stair 
way  from  the  large  armory  below ;  and  on  the 
platform,  at  the  stair  head,  so  that  no  living  thing 
could  pass  it  without    awakening    them,  were 


stretched  on  a  soft  rug  full  armed  for  instant  battle, 
the  two  gigantic  negroes. 

This  was  the  Rover's  den,  his  last  stronghold, 
his  chosen  privacy.  Lighted  by  day  through  eight 
tall  pointed  windows,  now  muffled  all  by  blinds 
of  Indian  matting ;  and  in  the  nigHt  by  a  large 
brazen  lamp,  with  four  bright  burners,  it  was  as 
light  as  life,  though  silent  as  the  grave.     It  was 
the  plainest — nay  !  the  only  plain  chamber  of  that 
superb  and  gorgeous  building ;  its  floor  and  walls 
being  covered  equally  with  the  soft  seats  woven 
by  Indian  girls,  from  the  sweet  aromatic    seeds 
and  spicy  grasses  of  that  region — its  furniture,  two 
or  three  camp  stools  of  dark  English  oak,  a  centre 
table  of  the  same  fabric,  covered  with  maps  and 
plans  of  battles  or  the  like,  a  silver  standish  and 
a  tall  golden  crucifix — and  another  large  broad 
slab  of  some  Indian  wood,  littered  with  charts 
and  papers,  instruments  of  astronomy  and  naviga 
tion,  pistols  and  dirks,  and  articles  of  clothing,  (such 
as  fringed  gloves,  and  feathered  hats)  and  one  or  two 
tall  wine  flasks,  with  a  Venetian  drinking  glass  of 
scarce  inferior  height.    Upon  the  walls  hung  many 
suits  of  armor  with  fire-arms  of  rare  and  choice 
construction,  and  swords  of  exquisite  device  and 
manufacture.     The  only  other  article  of  furniture, 
and  that  perhaps  the  most  important  in  the  cham 
ber,  was  a  large  low  bedstead  of  oak,  with  a  plain 
cotton  matress,  and    white   draperies  of  simple 
linen — and  on  that  lowly  bed  reclined  in  deep, 
though  troubled  slumber,  the  mighty  frame  of  the 
great  English  buccaneer,  with  his  fair  favorite  by 
his  side,  sleeping  as  calmly  as  a  summer's  night 
upon  a  breezeless  river.    Her  rich  redundant  curls 
fell  off  in  loose  and  wavy  masses  from  her  fair 
brow,  floating  across  the  massive  chest  and  mus 
cular  shoulders  of  the  buccaneer,  on  which  that 
brow  was  pillowed ;  her  eyes  were  closed,  but  the 
long  fringe  which  curtained  them  was  penciled 
in  distinct  relief  against  her  clear  complexion — 
the  whole  expression  of  her  face,  as  she  slept,  was 
exquisitely  pure  and  child-like,  and  the  soft  smile 
which  nestled  in  the  twin  dimples  of  her  rosy 
mouth,  seemed  born  of  innocent  and  tranquil  bliss. 
So  wras  it  not  with  her  companion.     Dark  frowns 
and  gloomy  shadows  chased  one  another  fast  and 
thick  over  his  broad  expressive  features — the  sweat 
stood  in   full  bubbles  on  his  turbulent  brow — a 
fierce  sarcastic  smile  now  writhed  his  pallid  lips, 
and  now  he  laughed  almost  aloud,  but  with  a  scorn 
ful  and  self-mocking  laughter,  such  as  the  fiends 
might  use,  jeering  at  stainless  virtue.     His  great 
chest  heaved  and  fell,  not  with  the  regular  pulsa 
tions  of  healthful  innocent  sleep,  but  with  convul 
sive  pants  and  throbbings — his  arms  were  dashed 
violently  to  and  fro,  with  the  hands  clenched  like 
ron — such  were  the  night  dreams  of  the  Rover, 


A    TALE    OF    FLORIDA. 


51 


and  fearful  as  they  must  needs  have  been,  to 
judge  by  their  effect,  as  fearfully  were  they  dis 
pelled.  A  clear  sharp  ringing  sound  as  of  a  mus 
ket  shot  close  to  the  inmost  keep,  rung  through 
the  night  air — one  of  the  Indian  allies  of  Don 
Amidis  having  unconsciously  discharged  his  arque- 
buse,  and  so  called  down  discovery — little,  how 
ever,  if  at  all  premature — on  the  attacking  party. 

Upon  the  instant,  though  the  fair  being  by  his 
side  yet  slumbered  all  unconscious  of  alarm, 
Reginald  Ringwood  sprung  to  his  feet,  fully  awake, 
and  in  the  clearest  mastery  of  his  senses — one 
bound — he  stood  upon  the  platform  of  the  keep, 
and  in  less  time  than  it  would  have  taken  any 
other  man  to  mark  one  portion  of  the  perils  that 
environed  him,  he  had  envisaged  all ;  and  seen  the 
only  hope  that  was  left  to  him.  The  invaders,  as  yet 
knew  not,  it  would  seem,  whether  they  were  dis 
covered,  and  rested  yet  upon  their  arms ;  and  Ring- 
wood  seeing  clearly  that  the  exterior  works  were  all 
untenable  already,  and  knowing  that  his  only  hope 
of  making  good  the  citadel  itself,  depended  on  his 
getting  men  to  man  his  guns  from  the  great  bar 
racks,  resolved  to  turn  this  brief  inaction  to  ad 
vantage.  Before  the  very  blacks  had  roused  them 
from  their  slumbers,  he  had  sprung  to  the  breech 
of  the  huge  cannon,  had  wheeled  it  round  upon  its 
pivot — Herculean  task  for  any  single  arm,  how 
puissant  it  might  be  soever ! — had  pointed  it  upon 
the  nearest,  longest  caravel,  and,  lighting  a  match 
instantly  from  the  lamp  in  his  turret,  had  dis 
charged  it  on  the  foe.  A  broad  bright  glare  shot 
out  into  the  bosom  of  the  night,  a  cloud  of  snowy 
volume  was  driven  before  it,  and  a  roar,  like  that 
of  twenty  thunder  claps,  shook  the  strong  tower 
to  its  base,  and  deafened  for  an  instant  every  ear 
that  heard  it.  Before  its  echoes  had  subsided, 
before  the  Spaniards,  in  turn,  surprised,  (for  the 
huge  missile  striking  the  great  caravel  amid-ships, 
had  cut  her  mainmast  by  the  board,  carrying  with 
it  all  the  mizen  tops)  had  poured  in  their  answer 
ing  broadside,  the  Rover's  bugle,  wound  clear  and 
lustily,  the  signal  of  recall,  was  heard  by  the 
awakened  pirates,  who  rushed  half-dressed — their 
weapons  in  their  hands — from  the  rear  of  the  build 
ings  to  obey  his  signal.  The  instant  he  had  fired 
the  cannon,  a  dozen  stalwart  blacks,  Pluto  and 
Charon  at  their  head,  the  garrison  of  this  keep, 
stood  on  the  platform  at  his  side,  heavily  armed 
and  ready.  Dressing  himself  the  while  he  spake, 
he  thundered  forth  his  orders  with  strange  rapidity 
and  wonderful  precision — 

"  Pluto  and  Charon,  away  both  of  ye,  down  to 
the  southern  sally  port,  unbar  it  on  the  instant, 
holding  it  well  in  hand  the  while,  to  admit  our 
fellows  from  the  barrack ;  but  see  ye  let  not  the 
Spaniards  enter  !  You  others,  quick  there,  quick! 


load  the  great  culverin,  and  run  it  out  again — see 
tkat  you  keep  the  level — so,  well  done,  lads — now 
fire!"  and  with  the  words  again  forth  burst  the 
stunning  roar—"  So,  cheerily  brave  hearts— fight 
it  thus  till  the  great  caravel  go  down — then  wheel 
it  on  the  next,  and  sink  her  likewise  !  I  go  to 
man  the  inner  ramparts.  Ha  !  Bella,  my  sweet 
girl,"  he  cried,  as  she  came  forth  in  disarray — 
"  down  to  your  bower,  my  girl,  and  dight  you  ! 
Fore  God,  but  I  believe  our  time  is  come  already !" 
And  with  the  word  she  darted  down  the  stairway, 
and  reached  the  sally-port  just  as  the  buccaneers, 
half-naked,  scattered  and  dismayed,  began  to  pour 
in  from  the  esplanade.  But  few  and  faint  they 
came,  all  breathless,  many  wounded,  and  some  to 
drop  down  dead  the  instant  they  had  forced  their 
entry — for  in  a  moment,  after  the  Rover's  unex 
pected  shot,  the  Spanish  crews  had  started  to  their 
guns,  and  five  broadsides  of  very  heavy  metal 
were  poured  into  the  clustered  buildings  of  the 
pirates,  before  they  were  yet  well  afoot,  so  that 
the  carnage  was  tremendous ;  then,  when  they 
had  rushed  out,  Don  Amadis  wheeled  his  two 
hundred  musqueteers  into  a  line  upon  their  flank, 
poured  in  a  shattering  volley  upon  their  scattered 
masses,  and  then  charged  sword  in  hand  with  his 
Castilian  troopers,  and  all  his  Indian  volunteers. 
Darkness  alone  saved  any  from  destruction,  and 
it  was  out  of  four  hundred  soldiers,  for  so  many 
alone  had  remained  in  the  lines,  scarcely  a  hun 
dred  sound  men  entered,  with  perhaps  fifty  more, 
wounded  and  wholly  useless — not  force,  in  short, 
enough  to  man  the  guns,  even  at  the  rate  of  one 
man  to  a  cannon. 

Still  this  mere  handful  was  disposed,  by  the 
wondrous  genius  of  the  Rover,  with  such  rare 
tact  and  skill,  manning  such  guns  alone  as  wrere 
most  useful,  that  until  day-break  he  was  enabled 
not  merely  to  repel  the  attacking  parties,  but  to 
beat  them  quite  back  from  his  lines  with  fearful 
slaughter — three  times  he  rallied,  and  each  time 
brought  back  his  every  man  unharmed  ;  leaving 
the  ground  which  he  had  traversed  piled  high  with 
carcasses,  and  reeking  with  hot  gore.  Meantime 
the  black  crew  on  the  keep  plied  the  long  culverin 
with  unabated  zeal ;  its  every  bullet  plunging  into 
the  castled  sides  of  the  tall  Spanish  caravellas — 
but  not  for  that  did  they  abate  their  murderous  and 
well  sustained  cannonading  against  the  pirate  bar 
racks,  until  not  a  stick  or  stone  of  them  stood  up 
right  to  cover  any  foeman.  Then,  but  not  until 
then,  did  they  direct  their  fire  on  the  keep ;  and 
even  then  so  distant  was  it  from  their  guns,  and 
at  an  elevation  so  considerable,  that  their  fire 
did  it  but  small  damage,  while,  ell  the  time,  they 
suffered  heavily.  Meantime,  the  armed  boats 
of  the  squadron  landed ;  and  their  crews  formed 


52 


RINGWOOD    THE    ROVER, 


instantly  a  junction  with  the  land  forces  led  by 
Amadis  Ferrajo ;  which,  by  the  dint  of  energy 
and  zeal  almost  unparalleled,  had  forced  their  way 
through  tangled  brakes  and  shaking  quagmires, 
over  broad  lakes  and  navigable  rivers,  to  that  im 
pregnable  strong  hold,  as  it  was  ever  deemed  by 
the  too  confident  and  careless  Rover. 

Tremendous  was  the  fate  of  every  living  being 
who  met  the  onslaught  of  the  infuriate  Spaniards 
— no  quarter  was  shown — none  !  neither  to  age 
nor  sex — to  innocence,  nor  beauty  !  Hundreds  of 
miserable  children  were  tossed  upon  the  spear 
heads  of  the  pitiless  avengers — hundreds  of  wo 
men  shot,  or  cut  down,  or  spared  only  to  glut  for 
a  brief  space  the  fierce  lust  of  their  captors. — 
When  the  day  dawned,  woman  nor  child  survived 
— and  not  a  groan  was  heard  from  the  red  slope — 
red  with  their  smoking  gore  ! 

Day  dawned ;  and,  as  the  light  grew  clear,  the 
weakness  of  the  defenders  was  discovered ;  and 
the  assailants,  forming  in  six  columns,  each  column 
equal  to  the  whole  force  under  Ringwood,  rushed 
desperate  to  win  the  ramparts.  The  guns  were 
necessarily  silent  after  the  first  discharge,  for  it 
was  needful  now  that  each  man  should  fight  hand 
to  hand,  or  let  the  lines  be  carried !  And  they 
were  carried  in  ten  minutes  !  for  though  the  buc 
caneers  fought  like  incarnate  devils,  though  Ring- 
wood  bore  a  charmed  life,  setting  it  fifty  times 
upon  a  die  and  still  unwounded,  man  after  man 
was  piked  or  cut  down  by  his  side,  until  the  two 
blacks  alone,  with  four  or  five  English  pirates, 
were  Left  alive,  and  able  to  wield  weapons. 

"  In  with  you,  Pluto  and  Charon — into  the  keep 
and  hold  the  gate  in  hand — now,!  Anson,  Falco 
ner,  ha!  Gambier,  too,  and  Drake,  one  charge 
more  on  these  dogs  of  Spain, — one  for  St.  George 
and  England!"  And  with  the  words,  the  five 
men  dashed  upon  a  column,  headed  by  Amadis 
Ferrajo,  of  full  two  hundred  veterans  rushing  in, 
with  their  leveled  pikes,  by  the  great  gate  which 
they  had  stormed — three  men  went  down  at 
three  strokes  of  the  Rover  ;  and  his  last  troopers 
seconded  him  like  men,  and  gallant  ones,  if  guilty ! 
— the  column  wavered  ;  but  Amadis  rallied  it  in 
stantly  with  words  of  fire,  and  charged  resistless ! 
one  by  one  down  went  Ringwood's  men  pierced 
each  with  fifty  wounds,  each  fighting  till  he  fell 
"  for  England  !  merry  England  !" 

The  Rover  stood  alone — but  what  recked  he  of 
that  ?  he  crossed  swords  with  Don  Amadis,  beat 
down  his  guard,  dealt  him  a  blow  that  would  have 
stretched  him  lifeless  on  the  plain,  but  that  his  ra 
pier  shivered  to  the  grasp — shot  two  men  with 
his  pistols — seized  a  third  round  the  waist,  who 
would  have  stopped  him  ;  and  hurled  him  to  the 
earth,  so  that  the  blood  gushed  from  ears,  eyes, 


and  mouth,  and  he  stirred  hand  no  more — rushed 
through  the  castle  gate,  and  ere  its  bars  were  fast 
behind  him,  stood  in  the  presence  of  Teresa,  all 
grim  and  gory,  but  unwounded. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

For  a  moment  or  two  the  wretched  girl  gazed 
in  pale  terror  on  the  dread  apparition  which  stood 
before  her  ;  nor  would  it  indeed  have  been  easy  to 
imagine  one  more  terrible.  His  gorgeous  dress 
was  all  begrimed  with  the  black  smoke  of  gun 
powder,  and  dashed  with  frequent  flakes  of  human 
gore;  his  face  and  hands  were  crimson;  and, 
more  than  all,  in  his  wild  eye  there  was  a  gleam 
of  terrible  fire  that  could  be  compared  to  nothing 
but  the  glare  of  some  dread  fiend  caught  from  the 
penal  flames  of  his  eternal  prison  house. 

She  had  risen  from  her  knees  on  his  entrance, 
for  during  the  whole  din  and  clamor  of  the  des 
perate  assault,  her  silvery  tones  had  mounted  to 
the  throne  of  grace  in  pure  and  constant  supplica 
tion — she  stood  staring  at  his  distorted  furious 
features,  speechless  with  terror  and  despair ;  but 
when  he  rushed  toward  her,  and  seized  her  deli 
cate  arm  in  his  strong  grasp,  she  sent  forth  a  long 
fluttering  thrilling  shriek,  so  awfully  acute  and 
shrill,  that  pealing  far  above  the  blended  roar  of 
musquetry  and  cannon,  above  the  shouts  and  yells 
of  the  assailants,  above  the  clang  of  axes  plied 
fast  and  furiously  against  the  portal  of  the  keep, 
it  reached  the  ears  of  the  besiegers,  and  lent  new 
vigor  to  their  arms,  new  fire  to  their  hearts.  Yet 
though  the  gate  was  crashing  even  now,  and  wa 
vering  beneath  their  blows — yet  had  their  aid 
come  all  too  late — for  he  had  seized  her  round  the 
waist,  despite  her  feeble  struggles,  despite  her 
pitiful  supplications,  lifted  her  from  the  ground, 
and  flung  her  by  main  force  upon  a  velvet  otto 
man,  with  all  her  raven  hair  disheveled,  the 
braids  which  bound  it  having  burst,  and  all  her 
garments  ruffled  and  in  the  last  disorder  from  the 
hot  struggle — he  paused  one  second  in  his  barba 
rous  pastime,  and  profiting  by  that  brief  interval, 
all  out  of  breath  and  panting  as  she  was, 

"Your  word!"  she  cried,  "your  word — your 
plighted  oath  of  honor  !— never  to  do  me  wrong  !" 

A  bitter  sneering  laugh  burst  from  his  lips. 

"My  word!"  he  said,  "  my  word— a  pirate's 
plighted  word  ! — a  robber's  oath  of  honor ! — ha  ! 
ha !  you  jest,  Teresa-^-ha !  ha !  you  would  be 
merry — hark,"  he  continued,  as  the  dread  sounds 
of  the  assault  rung  nearer  and  more  near.  "  Hark ! 
to  the  blows!— the  steps — the  voices  of  your 
friends !  There  rings  the  full  shout  of  your  curs 
ed  sire — the  war  cry  of  the  Des  Aviles — there 


A    TALE    OF 


53 


the  fierce  battle  note  of  Amadis  Ferrajo  !  Close  ! 
close  at  hand,  fair  lady ! — close  enough — almost ! 
to  preserve  you.  Ten  minutes  more,  and  they 
shall  find  you  here,  but  their  arms  shall  not  clasp 
you  to  their  hearts — father's  nor  lover's  !  No  ! 
no !  I  tell  you  no !  Nor  their  lips  press  your 
brow,  for  you  shall  be  a  thing  blighted,  dishonor 
ed,  foul!  Vengeance!  ho!  vengeance!  venge 
ance  on  Melendez,"  and  with  the  words  he  again 
caught  her  in  his  arms ;  and  in  a  moment  more 
his  horrid  purpose  had  been  too  well  accomplish 
ed  ;  but  while  she  shrieked  and  struggled,  as  im- 
potently,  it  is  true,  as  the  small  bird  in  the  talons 
of  the  merciless  falcon,  but  still  with  all  her 
power,  the  fair  haired  English  beauty  rushed, 
hardly  less  disarrayed  than  the  Spanish  maiden, 
into  the  room ;  and  close  behind,  both  her  com 
rades,  screaming  for  present  aid  to  Ringwood, 
and  fearful  was  their  need !  For,  seeing  now  that 
every  hope  of  protracting  the  defence  was  over, 
and  that  the  enraged  Spaniards  were  forcing  their 
passage  foot  by  foot,  the  brutal  negroes,  who  had 
manned  the  great  gun  on  the  platform  of  the  keep, 
and  fought  it  until  now,  right  dauntlessly,  had  left 
their  post  as  desperate  ;  and  drunk  with  bloodshed 
and  despair,  maddened  with  liquor  and  with  lust, 
had  turned  their  fierce  and  brutal  passions  from 
their  natural  enemies,  against  the  favorite  beau 
ties  of  their  leader.  But  better  had  it  been  for 
them,  had  they  awaited  the  avenging  Spaniard ; 
better  had  they  rushed  into  the  den  of  the  cub- 
drawn  tigress,  than  thus  have  roused  the  fury  of 
their  chief. 

Leaving  Teresa,  pale  and  breathless,  and  too 
terrified  to  thank  God  for  her  near  escape,  he 
rushed  upon  the  mutineers — the  first  he  caught 
about  the  middle,  for  he  had  no  offensive  arms — 
his  sword  having  been  broken  in  the  conflict,  and 
all  his  pistols  emptied ! — and  hurled  him  headlong 
through  the  window,  like  an  enormous  missile 
shot  from  some  giant  catapult.  The  strong  bro 
caded  awnings  opposed  his  passage  ;  but  with  such 
mighty  impulse  was  he  sent,  that  the  tough  velvet 
was  rent  through  and  through,  as  though  it  had 
been  gossamer — and  the  huge  buccaneer  was  seen 
one  instant  sprawling  and  writhing  in  mid  air 
with  a  terrific  sound  of  blended  screams  and 
curses  on  his  tongue,  before  he  fell  upon  the  lifted 
pikes  of  the  besiegers.  Quelled  for  a  moment  by 
this  awful  spectacle,  the  other  negroes  stood 
aghast,  and  Ringwood  leaping  upon  them  with 
the  bound  of  an  angry  tiger,  snatched  his  own 
weapon  from  the  first,  and  whirling  it  about  his 
head,  clove  him  with  one  blow  to  the  jaws. 

"Ha!  dogs!"  he  shouted,  in  tones  trumpet-like 
and  clear,  "ha!  villains!  dare  ye  dispute  my 
will — or  look  too  boldly  on  my  prizes  ? — down  to 

4 


your  kennels,  dogs !  down  to  the  dungeon  gate, 
and  fight  it  to  the  last,  with  these  accursed  Span 
iards  !  Down  to  the  gate,  I  say,  and  if  ye  must, 
of  your  low  nature,  perish  brutes,  see  that,  at 
least,  ye  perish  brave  ones!" 

Not  a  word  more  was  spoken,  nor  a  blow 
stricken,  but  all  cowed  and  abashed,  the  muti 
neers  rushed  down  the  sounding  stairway,  and, 
ere  a  moment  passed,  might  be  heard  battling 
hand  to  hand  with  the  fierce  veterans  of  Melendez, 
who  had  already  forced  the  gates,  and  were  now 
rushing  in,  like  a  flood  tide,  resistless.  Just  at 
this  juncture,  by  the  other  door,  Pluto  and  Cha 
ron,  the  trusty  guardsmen  of  the  Rover,  entered 
the  harem,  bleeding  both  from  several  recent 
wounds,  but  still  bold  and  undaunted. 

"Ha!  all  is  lost,  then,"  exclaimed  the  Rover, 
as  they  entered.  " Is  all  lost,  Charon?" 

"All  is  lost,"  answered  the  faithful  black," 
"all  is  lost!  carried!  postern  gate  carried  too! 
enemy  in  the  hall,  will  be  here  presently!" 

"And  ye — what  would  ye?"  cried  the  great 
English  pirate,  still  calm  in  his  extremity  and 
fearless — "  what  would  ye — fly?" 

"Will  massa,"  answered  the  negroes  in  one 
breath,  "fly  with  massa  Ringwood  by  covered 
way  into  the  forest — or  if  he  will,  die  here,  with 
him." 

"Ha!  by  the  covered  way — fine  boys — I  had 
forgotten  !  so  may  I  live,  if  not  for  victory,  still 
at  the  least  for  vengeance — reach  down  three  car 
bines  from  the  wall,  there — they  are  all  loaded — 
now  light  the  matches — so  give  me  that  long  To 
ledo — ha !  here  they  come — they  come !  but  by 
the  fiends,  too  late  !  Charon,  take  thou  Toraida 
— set  her  in  safety  in  the  forest,  and  thou  hast 
won  thy  freedom.  Pluto,  bear  thou  Italian  Bea 
trice  !  Thou  art  for  me,  Teresa — my  girl,  no 
dallying !"  and  he  shook  her  fiercely  by  the  arm, 
as  she  would  have  struggled  to  escape ;  for  now 
the  voices  of  her  father — of  her  dear  Amadis, 
came  close  upon  her  ear,  above  the  clash  and  clat 
ter  of  the  contest,  as  they  bore  their  last  foes 
bleeding  and  breathless  at  the  sword's  point  before 
them,  and  now  they  had  won  the  staircase,  and 
now  were  on  the  very  threshold  of  the  gay  ar 
mory — too  late !  He  had  swung  her  up  in  his 
stalwart  arms,  threw  her  across  one  shoulder  as 
though  she  had  been  an  infant.  "  Follow  me, 
Bella,"  he  cried,  "follow  close,  thine  English 
blood  is  brave,  thou  needst  no  supporter  !  follow 
me  close,  and  bar  the  door  behind!"  and  with  the 
words  he  sprung  across  the  vestibule,  entered  the 
secret  stairway  in  the  wall,  and  was  just  out  of 
sight,  when  beating  down  the  last  of  the  defen 
ders,  Don  Amadis  darted  through  the  opposite 
doorway  with  twenty  veterans  at  his  back.  Well 


54 


RINGWOOD    THE    ROVER, 


did  the  Rover  say  that  fair  girl's  blood  was  brave ; 
for  as  he  left  the  armory,  she  snatched  down  from 
the  wall  a  studded  buckler  of  the  tough  hide  of 
the  rhinoceros,  a  Mght  Damascus  cimiter,  and 
with  her  beautiful  blue  eyes  beaming  with  fiery 
valor,  made  good  the  door  in  a  moment,  and  bar 
red  and  chained  it  fast  in  the^ery  teeth  of  the  foe  ! 
With  speedy  steps  they  trod  the  damp  floors  of 
the  vaulted  passage — they  barred  three  massive 
doors  behind  them,  yet  with  so  desperate  speed 
did  Amadis  pursue,  plying  his  ponderous  battle 
axe,  that  as  they  reached  the  sally-port,  they 
heard  him  thundering  already  at  the  last  portal 
they  had  passed — they  hurried  through  the  sally 
port,  a  plank  was  thrust  across  the  fosse,  they 
darted  over  it  in  safety ! — they  stood  in  the  wild 
forest ! — another  minute  and  they  had  been  con 
cealed  in  the  dark  hazes  of  a  labyrinth  so  tortuous 
and  dense,  that  scarcely  could  the  keen  instinct  of 
an  Indian  have  traced  their  flying  footsteps  !  But 
at  the  very  moment  when  they  crossed  the  fosse, 
and  climbed  its  landward  face,  five  or  six  Spanish 
musqueteers,  who  stood  on  guard  in  the  stone  bas 
tion,  discovered  them !  blew  their  slow  matches, 
leveled  their  long  bright  barreled  harquebuses, 
and  a  sharp  volley  followed !  Three  balls  struck 
Ringwood ;  his  left  arm  fell  to  his  side  shattered 
by  one  bullet — well  was  it  for  Teresa,  that  he  had 
just  released  her,  or  that  same  ball  had  borne  her 
fate  upon  its  wings  ! — a  second  pierced  his  broad 
chest ;  a  third  just  grazed  his  muscular  thigh — yet 
he  flinched  not,  nor  uttered  any  sign  of  pain  nor 
wavered  in  the  least.  By  the  same  volley  the 
negro  Charon  fell,  shot  dead  where  he  stood,  by 
one  ball ;  while  another,  so  closely  was  that  ter 
rible  discharge  poured  in,  killed  the  poor  Persian 
in  his  arms — happier  so  to  fall,  than  to  survive 
awhile  and  glut  the  furious  vengeance  of  the  en 
raged  Castilians. 

"  Ha,  dogs !" — shouted  the  Rover — shaking  his 
long  bright  rapier  at  them,  in  defiance — "Ha! 
dogs — would  ye  were  at  arm's  length !  Now , 
Pluto,  quick!  quick!  while  their  muskets  are 
discharged,  pull  the  plank  over  to  this  side,  and 
all  will  yet  be  well — quick  ! — quick,  I  say ! — 
they  come !" 

And  they  did  come — swinging  his  rapier  high 
in  air,  and  leaping  like  a  freed  panther  from  the 
dark  sally-port,  all  youthful  energy,  all  high  en 
thusiastic  valor — young  Amadis  Ferrajo — and 
close  to  his  heels,  with  his  long  gray  locks  al] 
unhelmeted  and  floating  on  the  breeze,  and  his 
antique  steel  panoply  all  blood  from  greaves  to 
gorget,  Juan  Melendez  de  Aviles ;  and  after  these 
Pedro,  Gutierrez,  Sanchez,  and  Diego,  and  fifty 
more  hidalgos  of  Castile,  with  their  high  hearts 
aflame  for  deadly  vengeance. 


Forth  leaped  young  Amadis,  the  foremost — his 
bot  was  on  the  plank  already — the  cry  of  triumph 
inging  already  from  his  lips — when  elmost  simul- 
aneously ,  the  negro,  who  when  he  stooped  down  to 
emove  the  plank  had  not  laid  by  his  carbine,  and 
he  great  Rover  fired.  Well  was  it  for  Don  Am 
adis — his  armor  was  Spain's  choicest  fabric — had 
t  been  steel  of  any  foreign  city,  he  had  been  sped 
.hat  moment ;  for  both  balls  took  effect  at  scarce 
;en  paces  distance — one  striking  full  upon  the 
frontlet  of  his  helmet,  and  leaving  a  deep  dent  in 
he  trusty  steel ;  the  other  actually  penetrating 
he  strong  corslet,  so  fairly  was  it  aimed,  and 
even  inflicting  a  slight  wound;  as  it  was, stunned 
and  bewildered  for  the  moment,  he  went  down — 
and  all  around  surely  believed  him  dead — though 
n  a  little  while  he  recovered  himself  and  regained 
his  feet. 

Teresa,  who  had  been  gazing  on  the  little  group, 
with  hope  fresh  kindling  in  her  heart,  beheld  him 
fall,  and  the  light  left  her  eyes,  and  she  sunk 
faint  and  senseless  on  the  dark  dewy  earth.  All 
this  had  passed,  in  less  time  than  is  needed  to  de 
scribe  it.  As  Amadis  went  down,  Melendez 
took  his  place,  and  rushed  across  the  narrow 
bridge,  striking  down  Pluto,  with  a  single  sweej 
of  his  two-handed  broadsword,  a  breathless  corpse 
into  the  stagnant  moat — but  while  one  foot  was  yet 
upon  the  quivering  plank,  the  Rover  leaped  upon 
his  foe.  It  was  a  desperate  and  a  dreadful  con 
flict — for  the  wounds — one  of  which  was  in  truth 
slowly  mortal — counterbalanced  the  advantage 
which  Ringwood's  youth  would  have  otherwise 
given  him  over  his  aged  yet  still  firm  antago 
nist.  Melendez  was  armed  cap-a-pie  all  to  his 
helmet ;  the  Englishman  was  quite  unarmed,  with 
the  exception  of  his  long  two-edged  broadsword — 
so  that  the  one  had  all  his  body  to  defend — the 
other  his  head  only.  Yet  was  this  point  of  van 
tage  neutralized  by  the  extraordinary  skill  of 
fence,  the  blithe  agility,  the  mighty  strength 
of  Ringwood,  who  like  a  wounded  boar  was  but 
the  fiercer  and  more  furious  for  his  hurts. 
Dreadful  and  desperate  was  that  contest,  yet  it 
was  over  almost  in  a  minute — their  swords 
flashed  like  the  beams  of  the  noon-day  sun,  too 
dazzling  and  too  fleet  for  any  eye  to  trace  them  ; 
yet  ere  six  blows  and  parries  were  exchanged, 
the  Rover's  blade  descended  with  such  violence 
upon  the  weapon  of  Melendez,  that  it  beat  down 
his  guard,  and  afterward  inflicted  a  deep  wound 
on  his  brow — the  old  man  staggered  back,  the 
Rover  pressing  on  with  a  fierce  lunge,  and 
sheathing  his  rapier  in  the  Spaniard's  throat 
above  the  gorget  vein. 

"Ha!  ha!"  he  laughed  aloud  with  a  fiendish 
tone,  as  he  shook  off  his  dying  foeman  from  the 


A   TALE   OF   FLORIDA. 


55 


point  of  his  ensanguined  weapon  into  the  stagnant 
water  of  the  ditch — "Ha!  ha!  ha!  sister — sweet 
angel  sister-thou  art  avenged !  avenged !  avenged ! 
and  I  die  happy !"  and  with  the  words,  unhurt  by 
any  blow,  unsmitten  by  any  mortal  hand  in  equal 
combat,  he  staggered  up  the  slope,  fell  by  Teresa's 
side,  and  was  dead  in  a  moment.  Whether  or  no 
it  was  the  sound  of  Ringwood's  heavy  fall  beside 
her.  cannot  be -told,  but  it  is  certain  that  as  he 
dropped,  she  started  to  her  feet,  and,  with  reco 
vered  senses,  gazed  wildly  about  her. 

Her  father's  corpse  she  saw  not,  for  falling  into 
the  deep  wet  fosse  it  had  sunk  instantly  to  the 
bottom,  and  was  kept  there  by  the  weight  of  ar 
mor  which  it  bore ! — but  she  did  see  her  lover, 
whom  she  had  fancied  dead,  alive  and  on  his  feet, 
and  rushing  to  her  rescue  ! — she  did  see  her  deadly 
enemy  prostrate  and  lifeless  at  her  side ! — and 
over  him  with  her  broad  blue  eyes  flashing  fire, 
with  lifted  buckler,  brandished  blade,  his  the 
beautiful  Bella,  standing  erect  and  fearless — so  to 
defend  from  shame  all  that  was  left  of  her  un 
daunted  lover. 

Teresa  screamed,  she  sprung  to  save  her,  but 
she  was  all  too  late,  for  flushed  with  victory,  and 
mad  with  vengeful  fury,  the  Spaniards  were  upon 


her.  One  good  blow  did  the  English  girl  strike 
at  the  nearest  enemy — one  good  home  blow,  and 
the  strongest  man  who  met  it  staggered,  and  fell 
headlong  !  but  ere  he  struck  the  earth,  ten  pike 
heads  tore  the  lovely  bosom  of  that  frail  faithful 
girl. 

As  she  had  spoken,  so  she  died !  She  died 
with  him  whom  she  would  not  survive !  their 
life-blood  mingled,  as  she  breathed  out  her  last 
sigh  on  his  mangled  breast — and  one  tomb  held 
their  bodies — for  at  Teresa's  bidding,  when  the 
fierce  rage  of  war  was  over,  a  tomb  was  reared 
by  that  calm  basin,  over  the  lovely  Bella,  and  the 
great  English  Buccaneer. 

Long  did  Teresa  mourn — long  did  she  weep  her 
brother  and  her  father ;  yet  her  tears  ceased  at 
length  to  flow,  as  she  blushed  her  consent  to  her 
young  rescuer's  ardent  wooing ;  and,  when  they 
sailed  together  from  the  wild  shores  of  Florida, 
for  their  dear  Spanish  home,  the  faithful  slave 
Cassandra  followed  her  mistress'  footsteps;  and 
many  a  time  and  often  in  after  days  and  a  far 
land,  they  shed  a  pitying  tear  for  the  kind-hearted 
English  girl,  and  half  admired  the  daring,  even 
while  they  blamed  the  sins  of  Ringwood  the  great 
Rover ! 


?S 


M268571 


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